


Johnny & J's

by PandorasBox (AdriannaRhode)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 3racha chris bang, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, American AU, Birthday Parties, Coffeeshop AU, Hair Salon AU, Multi, also owning a cafe with your life partners, barista yugyeom, completely incorrect descriptions of real estate and property law, consent is key babes, gratuitous references to living in east los angeles, hair stylist johnny, harassing baby boomers, healthy polyamory!, honestly who even knows anymore, it's just a huge mess, making ken dolls gay, owning a salon and adopting a bunch of kids, radio host jaehyun, there's a lot of characters just trust me, youtuber mark lee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22570501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdriannaRhode/pseuds/PandorasBox
Summary: "I'm never getting a perm.""If John gave it to you, you would.""Johnny," Jaehyun corrects."Whatever. Don't go back there. Not so soon. It's a stupid idea."(JohnJae Hair Salon AU)
Relationships: Bang Chan/Park Jimin (15&), Jeon Jungkook/Kim Namjoon | RM, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Kunpimook Bhuwakul | BamBam/Kim Mingyu/Kim Yugyeom, Kunpimook Bhuwakul | BamBam/Kim Mingyu/Kim Yugyeom/Bang Chan, Son Seungwan | Wendy/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 33
Kudos: 184





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In my old neighborhood in Daegu, South Korea, there is a hair salon called Johnny & J's. 
> 
> I simply did what I had to do.

Jung Jaehyun hates finding a new salon. 

He’s picky. Pickier than anyone with short, easy-to-style hair should be. But his hair _stays_ so easy-breezy because his go-to stylist does a good job. 

His old go-to stylist, that is. Fucking Elsa, moving away to New Orleans and leaving a five-foot-nothing hole in Jaehyun’s fragile beauty routine. Now he has to find someone new to craft his signature undercut-and-quiff, and he’s not looking forward to it. A good stylist who understands a client’s vision and doesn’t get scissor-happy is a precious thing. 

Jaehyun is an Aquarius. He needs this routine, dammit. 

He spent all of ten minutes looking up the best-rated salons in the neighborhood, and the overwhelming favorite according to aunties and adolescents alike was a place called Johnny & J’s. So he booked an appointment.

That was two weeks ago. 

Now, Jaehyun is stood outside the place, slightly regretting his past self’s impatience. Johnny & J’s is on the second floor of a shabby business park, above a cell phone outlet and a lingerie store. The only way up seems to be a dimly lit set of stairs. The kind of place you’d get stabbed, or mugged, or see a pile of human shit or something. Fullerton isn’t exactly known for being glamorous. 

But Jaehyun needs a haircut, desperately. His life is in perfect balance, and it’ll stay that way, if his hair stays neat. So he goes up.

\---------------

When the man at the counter looks up and gives an easy smile, Jaehyun kind of wants to turn around and run back down the stairs. 

He can’t, because the man has definitely seen him and because he desperately needs a haircut. But he wants to.

This dude is _cute_. He's got shaggy dark hair and sleepy-looking dark eyes, and a small handsome face. That would be intimidating on its own, but he's also tall enough that he's in danger of bumping into the decorative chandeliers that seem to be a prerequisite for every single hair salon. Tall, dark, and handsome. Triple threat. Jaehyun is fucked. 

"Oh, hi," the guy says, "You have an appointment?" 

"For 2:30," Jaehyun manages. 

The man clicks at his desktop computer for a second. "Jaehyun?" 

Oh, God. He's handsome and he's saying Jaehyun's name. 

"That's me." 

_"Any idea what style you want?"_ the man asks. 

"Just a tidy-up," Jaehyun says. 

The man gives him a funny look, and Jaehyun realizes that the question wasn't in English. 

_"You ARE Korean, aren't you?"_ he asks.

"I am," Jaehyun replies, still in English. 

He's possibly malfunctioning. 

"Are you more comfortable in English?" the guy asks, "Sorry, I saw your name and assumed, that's shitty of me." 

"I mean, I speak English here...in America..." Jaehyun says helplessly. 

"Fair enough," he smiles, "I'm Johnny. As in, Johnny & J’s." 

Jaehyun is about to say his own name in return, but realizes just in time that Johnny definitely knows his name and just said it several moments ago. He just opens and closes his mouth like a fish, instead. 

Johnny either doesn't notice or doesn't care, because he just charges on, "I'll do your cut, today. Midday is slow. You're lucky." 

"Lucky?" 

"Yeah," Johnny grins, "Usually clients see my other stylists. You get the master himself." 

"Oh." 

Johnny meanders out from behind the front desk and leads Jaehyun further into the salon. It's a pretty space, a stark contrast to the outside of the building. The work stations are gleaming white and silver and some kind of pale wood, with little potted plants and photographs and homey bits that make it feel just on the right side of casual. Passively, Jaehyun wonders if this is Johnny’s personal style, or just one that he’s chosen for the salon aesthetic. It’s nice, either way.

"Just a tidy-up, you said?" 

Jaehyun nods, and then, because Johnny's back is to him, says, "Yeah." 

"Shampoo and everything good for you? Styling at the end?" 

"Sure." 

So Johnny gestures him over to the row of hair-washing stations, settling himself behind the first sink while Jaehyun leans awkwardly into the plush leather recliner. The chair buzzes, and Jaehyun tips backward until he's looking up at the ceiling, Johnny's (gorgeous) face in his periphery. 

"Got any allergies I should know about?" Johnny asks. 

What kind of question is that? What is with this guy? It's taking everything Jaehyun has to keep up with him. 

"Penicillin," Jaehyun says uncertainly. 

Johnny laughs, a loud staccato thing that shouldn't be so attractive. "I meant more like...eucalyptus? Or almonds? Something you'd find in a shampoo." 

"Oh. No. You're fine," Jaehyun says, willing his embarrassed, pink cheeks back to normal before Johnny comes any closer. 

"Then let's do this." 

Most salons have calm music in their client areas. Something instrumental, maybe some weird transcendental gongs or something. Music that's meant to help you forget that a stranger is washing your hair and judging your split ends and trying to upsell you on fifty-dollar shampoo and leave-in products that don't even do anything. Calm music.

Not Johnny & J's. They have rap. And pop. And some kind of electronica, maybe. Jaehyun’s not sure what you’d call some of this. 

The baseline emanating from the big square speaker mounted at the corner of the ceiling and wall in vaguely familiar. As Johnny's big (like goddamn big) hands work the shampoo into Jaehyun's roots, Jaehyun listens carefully. When it hits him, he laughs. 

"Ticklish?" Johnny asks. 

Jaehyun glances upward, but he can't see Johnny past the mess of lather and the lip of the sink. "Is this the Black Eyed Peas?" 

"It is." 

"...why?" 

"Why is it the Black Eyed Peas?" Johnny repeats, "I dunno. Do you want me to change it?" 

"No, no, it's fine," Jaehyun says quickly, "I just haven't heard this song since, like 2012." 

"Oh. Then you're welcome." 

Jaehyun grins. "Thank you." 

He closes his eyes, and settles in to enjoy this extremely handsome man running big gentle hands over his scalp. 

"I can do a Korean-style scalp massage, if you want," Johnny offers, after a moment. 

"Can you?" Jaehyun asks, impressed. 

"If you want. A lot of American clients don't like it." 

"Go ahead." 

And so those big hands press firmly into his temples, running lines down to the nape of his neck, almost painful but not quite. It reminds him of being a kid and getting to go to the salon with his mom, getting a real wash and cut from a stylist instead of in their kitchen. He feels touched, almost...and immediately feels stupid for it. 

Man, Korean massages are nice. Jaehyun had forgotten. He can feel the tension leaving his shoulders as Johnny’s thumbs press into his scalp. He’s gonna fall asleep if he doesn’t do something. He says the first thing that pops into his head.

“So, Johnny & J’s.” 

“Yep.” 

“You’re Johnny,” Jaehyun says thoughtfully.

“I am.”

“Then who’s J?” 

Johnny leans down to give him a sneaky smile, one that suggests he gets this question often. “Jungwoo.” 

“Oh,” Jaehyun’s heart drops, and he hates it. 

But Johnny laughs. “My stylist, Jungwoo. He was the first one I hired, an old friend who also ended up in cosmetology.” 

“Interesting.” 

“I needed a catchy name,” Johnny says. 

They don’t say anything after that, but it’s surprisingly not awkward. 

It's just a haircut. 

A totally normal, absolutely average, embarrassingly intimate human experience. 

Jesus. 

Jaehyun is really fucked. 

Soon, there's warm water rinsing the last of the product out of Jaehyun's hair, and those long fingers are trailing around his ears and his forehead to make sure everything is washed out. Johnny's humming above him, the song changed to something by Ariana Grande, and Jaehyun nearly jumps out of the chair when Johnny speaks again. 

"You've got really nice skin." 

"Ah - thank you?" Jaehyun says. 

Johnny barks out a laugh. "Sorry. Sounds like something a serial killer would say-" he puts on an exaggerated, nasally voice, "I like your _skin_. Let me make it into a raincoat." 

Jaehyun laughs, too, and Johnny drapes a towel over his hair, rubbing out the leftover moisture. 

"We're about done here, I'm gonna sit you up," Johnny says. "But for real, drop your skincare routine. I need these kinds of results." 

"I'm just blessed," Jaehyun replies, as the recliner buzzes upward and returns him to a sitting position. 

Johnny smirks at him. "I'll say." 

Jaehyun doesn't have an answer for that, but he doesn't need one, because Johnny simply walks away toward the stylist stations, motioning for Jaehyun to follow. He does, trotting obediently behind Johnny. He can't really tell if this social interaction is going well or not.

"Have a seat," Johnny says, when they've reached the last station, closest to the big window that looks down on the street below. 

"Pretty," Jaehyun murmurs, glancing out at the buildings and cars and people below. 

"Thanks."

Johnny's tone is teasing, but Jaehyun blushes anyway. He sits, and Johnny fits him with a towel around his neck and a black hairdressing cape that just brushes the top of his shoes where it falls in front. 

"How do you like the back? Buzzed a little closer?" Johnny asks, examining his hairline. 

Jaehyun watches him in the mirror. "Maybe half an inch? Rounded in the back. Not square."

"You got it." 

And with that, Johnny's off.

The rest of the haircut goes as normally as any other that Jaehyun's ever gotten. Really, if he closes his eyes and just focuses on something other than the supermodel behind him, it's super normal. Very normal, not at all nerve-wracking.

Eventually, Johnny says, "Well?" 

Jaehyun pries his eyes open to find his hair perfectly trimmed, the bangs just touching his eyebrows and the back tidy and rounded-off. 

"Wow."

"Good wow?" Johnny asks. 

"Good wow," Jaehyun says. "I like it." 

"Nice." 

They reconvene at the front desk, where Johnny is waiting with that smirk on his face. Jaehyun digs his wallet out of his pocket. 

"Thirty," Johnny says. 

Jaehyun can see the prices posted on the wall behind Johnny's head. It's clearly written that a men's cut is forty dollars. Normal for a nice salon with a wash and style. 

"But-"

Johnny interrupts him. "I'm the boss. Thirty. Pay up before I drop it to twenty-five."

So Jaehyun hands over his card, and Johnny swipes it, seeming very pleased with himself. 

"That's not a very sound business practice," Jaehyun points out, "Random discounts." 

"I am the _boss_ ," Johnny repeats. 

"So?"

"So I decide which good-looking clients get discounts," Johnny sends him a wink. 

Really, he's lucky Jaehyun didn't drop on the spot. 

"Oh," he says, instead, ever-articulate. 

Johnny hands back his card, wrapped in a receipt and a business card. "Hope to see you around." 

"I...yeah, same," Jaehyun replies lamely, and he all but bolts for the door. 

Once he's safely in the stairwell, he tucks his card back into his wallet, and glances at the other papers. On the business card, there's a hastily-drawn heart in red pen, and squeezed next to Johnny's name in the Johnny & J's logo, is "hyung" in messy Korean handwriting. 

Johnny-hyung. 

Interesting. 

\--------------

"You gotta stop falling in love with service workers, Jae. It's not healthy." 

Jaehyun looks up from the melting ice at the bottom of his latte to see at his friend Yugyeom, who's staring at him flatly. 

"What do you mean, 'keep?'" Jaehyun asks moodily. 

Yugyeom puts the hand that isn't holding an espresso porta-filter on his hip. "I mean me, dumbass." 

"I was never in love with you." 

"Everyone is," Yugyeom dismisses him, "And now you love your new hairdresser." 

"I don't love him." 

"No, you're right, you're right. You just wanna bone down." 

"This is a family establishment, Yug," Jaehyun says. 

Yugyeom looks around at the interior of Focus, the tiny cafe that Yugyeom and his partners own. There's only one other person inside, a tired-looking boy with light blonde hair and a silver briefcase beside his empty mug. 

"I have never once marketed us as a family establishment," Yugyeom replies. "Bambam co-owns this place which means it's a hotbed of chaos 24/7." 

"Explains why Men In Black III over there plays gangsta rap at top volume and drinks all the cold brew," Jaehyun says, with a gesture at the other patron.

"Chris can do what he wants," Yugyeom defends, screwing the porta-filter into the espresso machine and raising his voice to be heard over the din of the brewing coffee, "You, on the other hand, need to take my advice before salon boy breaks your heart." 

"He can't break my heart, I've had one conversation with him!" Jaehyun exclaims. 

"That's enough to do it, trust me." 

"You're being super dramatic." 

Yugyeom takes the fresh espresso and dumps it unceremoniously into a glass full of ice, fixing Jaehyun with an unimpressed fake smile. "Jae, I want you to find a nice man. But service workers aren't there for you to ogle." 

"I wasn't ogling. If anything, he was ogling _me_." 

"Don't project," Yugyeom chastises, carrying the iced coffee over to the dude with the silver case and plopping it next to him. 

One pale hand reaches out and pulls in the coffee, drinking it without so much as a nod. Yugyeom acts like this is nothing out of the ordinary as he returns to Jaehyun, perched at the bar in front of the prep counter.

"He asked me for my skincare routine," Jaehyun says. 

"Did you tell him that you live almost solely on ramen and In-n-Out and haven't seen a dermatologist since you were eleven?" 

"I did not." 

"Should've," Yugyeom sniffs, "Would've nipped this crush in the bud." 

"Not everyone is a fucking snob, like you," Jaehyun says. 

Yugyeom pats Jaehyun on the head. "Aw. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I know you really like John." 

"Johnny," Jaehyun corrects.

Yugyeom shrugs. "White names are white names." 

"I want to see him again," Jaehyun admits. 

"Bad idea." 

"Why?!"

"He works at a salon," Yugyeom says patiently, "That's not somewhere you can go casually, dummy. Not like a cafe or a restaurant or something." 

"I could," Jaehyun defends. 

"You could," Yugyeom agrees, "But you'd be broke in three weeks." 

"I wouldn't have to get expensive stuff..."

Yugyeom hums. "But...if you go all the time you'll have to do different treatments, and I would LOVE to see you with a perm."

"I'm never getting a perm."

"If John gave it to you, you would." 

"Johnny," Jaehyun corrects. 

"Whatever. Don't go back there. Not so soon. It's a stupid idea."

\------------

Jaehyun makes it two weeks before he makes another appointment at Johnny & J's. 

He's excited, more excited than he wants to admit, as he goes up the dingy narrow staircase to the salon. He wonders what Johnny will say. 

He doesn't have to wonder for long, though, because when he opens the salon door, Johnny's not there. 

Instead, it's a beautiful brown-haired Asian kid behind the counter, a skinny guy with sharp, young-looking features. Jaehyun approaches him, trying his best not to look crestfallen, and the kid smiles. His teeth are a little crooked, but it's charming. 

"Hi!" the kid chirps. 

"Hey," Jaehyun says, "I have an appointment?" 

The boy glances down at the desktop, and back at Jaehyun, and if possible, his smile gets bigger. "Oh, yeah. Yep. You're Jaehyun." 

"I am," Jaehyun agrees, a little taken aback. 

"I'm Jungwoo," the kid says. " _Hyung said you speak Korean._ "

Jaehyun blinks, taking in the abrupt language switch, and nods. The name sounds awfully familiar.

"My English is...not good," Jungwoo says cheerfully. "But I can do hair color." 

Oh, yeah. 

In his panic about what would be a reasonable appointment to book two weeks after his last haircut, Jaehyun had chosen a coloring. He's never really wanted to dye his hair before, but as an excuse to see Johnny? It would work. 

But now he was gonna have it done by some kid. 

He follows Jungwoo over to the stylist stations, and sits down at a different one than last time. This one is plastered with pictures of Jungwoo and several other boys. Jaehyun can spot a few with Johnny in them, too. He scrutinizes them as the towel and cape are settled into place and the chair adjusted for his height.

As Jungwoo chatters at him, switching between Korean and English at leisure, Jaehyun suddenly remembers where he's heard his name before. 

"Johnny said he named the salon after you," Jaehyun blurts. 

Jungwoo's eyes crinkle. "He did?" 

"He did." 

"That's a lie," says Jungwoo, seeming delighted by it. 

"It is?" Jaehyun's surprised. 

" _He named it after our youngest stylist,_ " Jungwoo says in Korean, before switching to English to inform him, "Jisungie. He's cutest. So, him." 

In spite of himself, Jaehyun laughs. "Why would he lie about that?" 

Jungwoo's smile is mysterious. "I don't know."

The plot thickens, Jaehyun muses. For some reason, this revelation helps the last bits of awkwardness melt away, and Jaehyun is suddenly hit with a wave of fondness for sweet, cheerful Jungwoo. 

Jungwoo, for his part, holds up a laminated sheet of paper, crammed with pictures of ladies with different rainbow-colored hair. "Pick a color." 

Dyeing his hair really means dyeing it, doesn't it? Jaehyun blinks at the choices. 

"What do you think?" he asks Jungwoo. 

"Pink," Jungwoo replies immediately. 

Jaehyun scrunches his nose. "Pink?" 

"Have to bleach," Jungwoo says thoughtfully. "But pink. Prettiest." 

Pink. Jaehyun reaches up and ruffles his hair, thinking about the bleach it'll take to go from his natural black to pink. 

" _If we deep-condition today and again in about a week, you'll be fine,_ " Jungwoo explains, moving to Korean again for technical vocabulary. 

"Pink it is," Jaehyun decides. 

\---------------

Three hours later, Jaehyun has pink hair.

It's a faded bubblegum color, very delicate and shocking after having dark hair his whole life. But Jungwoo insists that the color suits him. "You're pretty," Jungwoo had said, about ten times. "Pink is pretty." 

He stares at himself in the mirror, wondering what on Earth he's just done to himself. 

"I like it," Jungwoo says. "You need 'nother appointment." 

So they book him in for a week out to get another deep-condition and a color touch up, and before Jaehyun leaves, Jungwoo insists that they get a photo to put on the company Instagram. 

It ends up being about twenty photos. The first ones are professional, just the back and sides of Jaehyun's head to show off Jungwoo's dye job. But then it devolves into Jungwoo bullying Jaehyun into aegyo poses and selfies. When they're finished, Jungwoo has an evil smirk on his face, and Jaehyun feels distinctly manipulated. 

Whatever. He has a chance to see Johnny next week. 

\---------------

Johnny isn't there when Jaehyun goes for his touch-up appointment, either. 

It's disappointing but not surprising. Jaehyun figures he lucked out, getting the (super hot and charismatic) store owner on his first visit. 

Instead, it's yet another new boy. He's tall and wiry, delicate features and graceful proportions, very obviously Korean as well. Jaehyun wonders wildly where Johnny keeps finding these guys. 

The kid smiles shyly at him, and speaks before Jaehyun can. "Jaehyun-hyung." 

Jaehyun blinks once. Twice. "I guess." 

"I knew it," the kid says, "I'm Jisung." 

"Pleasure." 

Jaehyun sizes the kid up surreptitiously as they settle in for the color and conditioner. He looks all of thirteen years old, though he _must_ be older, if he's licensed. Briefly, Jaehyun wonders if that's even a requirement for Johnny, or if he just collects lost children and teaches them to do hair. 

Half an hour later, as this infant stylist is working two handfuls of thick conditioner into Jaehyun's newly re-dyed pink hair, Jaehyun asks him. 

"Did Johnny name the salon after you?" 

Jisung pauses, and then laughs. "No." 

"Then who's the J in Johnny & J's?" Jaehyun asks. 

"Jeno." 

"Who's Jeno?" Jaehyun asks, exasperated. 

Jisung just smiles. "Jeno-hyung works here." 

"I assumed." 

The baby stylist insists on taking more pictures of Jaehyun when they're finished, and demands his Instagram handle to tag him in the photos. Jaehyun doesn't even argue. He's too busy wondering why the fuck no one will tell him what the J stands for, and even busier wondering why he even cares. 

\---------------

"What did I tell you, man? Three weeks. Broke," Yugyeom scolds, as Jaehyun gulps down his second cup of tea. 

"I'm not broke." 

"Not yet! But your hair is PINK." 

"I think it's nice," Jaehyun says, miffed. 

Yugyeom rolls his eyes. "You only think that because it got you back in to see your love at his salon." 

"Yeah..about that..."

"Oh, God." 

"It's possible that-"

"Don't even tell me, Jae..."

" - very possible that I may not have seen-"

Yugyeom reaches over the counter and takes hold of Jaehyun by both shoulders. "Do not tell me that you paid to color your hair and ruin your dashing good looks, and you DIDN'T EVEN-"

" - see Johnny at all." 

"Oh my God. You're banned from my business." 

Jaehyun shrugs, "Fine." 

He moves as if to stand up and leave, but Yugyeom just clamps his hands down harder. 

"You're a fucking idiot, Jae," Yugyeom says sweetly. 

"I know that!" Jaehyun hisses. 

The bell on the door jingles as someone comes into the shop, and Yugyeom's attention is momentarily stolen. Jaehyun uses that opportunity to finish draining his tea. 

"Jae?" 

"Hm?"

"What does John look like, again?" 

"Johnny," Jaehyun huffs. "Tall, dark hair, round face, stacked ass?" 

"Huh," Yugyeom sounds satisfied. 

"Why?" 

Instead of answering, Yugyeom spins Jaehyun around on his barstool so that he can see the rest of the cafe.

Johnny and Jungwoo are sitting at a table by the window. 

"Delicious, finally some good fucking customers," Yugyeom quips, darting out from behind the counter to go say hello. 

Jaehyun, for his part, bolts behind the counter and into the back of the cafe, ignoring the misspelled Employees Only sign on the wall. He really doesn't want to talk to Johnny and face the fact that he's been at the salon looking for him an insane amount of times over the past couple weeks. 

He can hear Yugyeom's stupid high-pitched laugh from the front, playing the part of a charming business owner to perfection. At least he's safe in the back. He can hide until Johnny leaves. He's coward enough to do that. 

After twenty minutes, he assumes it's safe. 

He can't hear Johnny's voice, or Jungwoo's, or even Yugyeom's, for that matter. Jaehyun peeks out into the seating area. The table is empty. Nobody in sight, except for Chris the regular and his fucking silver case over in the corner. So Jaehyun ventures out. 

"Hey." 

Jaehyun jumps so hard he smacks into the espresso machine, and Yugyeom's prized gold-handled porta-filter clatters to the ground. 

Johnny's sitting primly at the counter three feet away, with a magazine and a cup of tea, the picture of innocence. 

Jungwoo is gone. Yugyeom is sitting with Chris, sharing his headphones and peering intently at his laptop. 

And Johnny is _here._

"Not happy to see me?" Johnny pouts over his magazine. 

"I...hi," Jaehyun says weakly. 

"Hi." 

Jaehyun ducks down to pick up the espresso filter and will himself back to sanity. 

"Do you work here?" Johnny asks, as Jaehyun rights himself. 

"I don't." 

Johnny points at the Employee's Only sign. "Then you're breaking the rules." 

"My best friend is the owner, I'm fine," Jaehyun says. 

"Him?" Johnny cocks his thumb over at Yugyeom, who's cackling away with Chris in the corner. 

"Him." 

"Not a boyfriend, then." 

Jaehyun's jaw drops. "Yugyeom? Boyfriend? _My_ boyfriend?" 

"It's not a stretch." 

Briefly, Jaehyun thinks of all the times he’s seen Yugyeom naked and how none of them were consensual, on his part.

"It fucking is, I wouldn't date Yugyeom if the other option was a beheading," Jaehyun snorts. 

"Harsh," Johnny says, but he's smiling. 

"Yugyeom is not my boyfriend," Jaehyun assures him. 

"Good to know." 

Jaehyun regards Johnny curiously. "What brings you here?" 

"Tea," Johnny points down at his mug. 

Jaehyun shakes his head, "Nobody ever comes to Focus. What brings you _here?_ "

"You just want me to roast myself," Johnny accuses. "You want me to admit that I stalked your Instagram."

Jaehyun just gapes at him. "Where did you get my Instagram?" 

"Jisung tagged you in your style photos," Johnny says, as if that's obvious. 

And it kind of is. The kid did ask for Jaehyun's handle when they took photos at his appointment. And Johnny does own the salon. It only makes sense. Jaehyun tries not to hope that Johnny was _snooping_ for his handle, that Johnny _wanted_ the kids to get dirt on him.

"And you have a million photos here, and I trust your taste. After all," Johnny preens, "You keep coming to my salon." 

His cockiness is frustratingly attractive, not at all annoying. Jaehyun kind of hates him. 

"Why'd you really come here?" Jaehyun asks.

Johnny considers this. He smirks. 

"To ask you on a date." 

"Oh." 

Jaehyun glances over at Yugyeom, who has since noticed them and taken out the earbud and is watching with his mouth open. Yugyeom gives him a thumbs up. 

"If that's okay," Johnny continues. "If you're interested." 

"I'm..." Jaehyun bites his lip so that he doesn't smile like an idiot. "I'm interested. Yeah. That sounds good." 

"Good," Johnny says, still so casual, so confident. "I'll pick you up, if you want. Or you can meet me at the salon after closing. I don't know when you're free, but..."

"You close at seven most days, right? I can meet you," Jaehyun says. 

"Is tomorrow okay?" 

"Tomorrow is good." 

"Fabulous." Johnny tosses back the rest of the tea unceremoniously and stands. 

He's so tall. Jaehyun loves that he's _so tall_ and _oh no he's so hot._ Johnny is so tall and so hot and Jaehyun is fucked. 

"Tomorrow at seven, outside the salon," Johnny repeats. "Don't chicken out." 

And with that, he's gone, the bell at the door jingling in his wake. 

Jaehyun has a date with Johnny.

\---------------

Jaehyun has a _date_ with _Johnny_. 

It's not real to him until he's standing outside Johnny & J's at 6:55, waiting for Johnny to come down and meet him, dressed to the nines and bubbling with anxiety. He'd agonized over his outfit for nearly an hour before calling Yugyeom for help. Within minutes, Yugyeom's boyfriend Bambam (a fashion hound with VERY expensive taste and the money to pursue it) had burst into Jaehyun's apartment with garment bags and a case of accessories and gotten to work. 

In the end, he'd stuffed Jaehyun into a thin brown jacket over a denim shirt over a black turtleneck, and made him put on dress shoes instead of sneakers. Jaehyun figured he'd die of heatstroke, because Los Angeles in winter is just not that cold, but Bambam was stubborn. 

"Do you wanna be a snack or not?" he'd asked, looking peeved, as he carefully brushed out Jaehyun's fading pink hair. 

"I do." 

"Then fucking let me do this!" 

He fucking DID let Bambam pile accessories onto his wrists and dab makeup around his eyes, and now he's standing outside in the evening chill feeling distinctly not like himself. He looks good, there was no question about that. He just looks like Bambam, not like Jaehyun. 

But any protests he might've had about the outfit die when Johnny comes down the stairs, looking like he'd stepped out of a fashion editorial. 

He has on a warm brown turtleneck sweater and fitted black pants, with a brown tweed coat that makes him look even taller than usual. Slightly dazed, Jaehyun notes with a touch of pride that they kind of match. 

Johnny must notice, too, because he says, "Glad to see you got the dress code." 

Jaehyun looks down at his (Bambam's) clothes, flustered. "I didn't want to underdress." 

"No worries. You look great," Johnny grins. 

It's a stupid grin. It shows off his slightly crooked teeth and makes deep divots under his eyes. Jaehyun is thoroughly charmed. 

"Do you mind if we have to travel a bit?" Johnny asks. 

"Travel? How far?"

"Downtown?" 

Jaehyun's surprised. It's not _far_ , per se, but it is farther than he expected. 

"Why downtown?" 

Johnny blinks. "For the date?" 

"Well, obviously," Jaehyun says, "But that's a long drive just for a date." 

"You're worth it," Johnny says, sending Jaehyun an exaggerated wink that should _not_ make him blush so hard. 

"Okay." 

"I'll drive," Johnny says, "My car's over there." 

That's good, because Jaehyun doesn't have a car. He doesn't have anywhere to go that's far enough away to warrant it. Johnny, however, has a little black sedan that's gleaming on the outside and pristine on the inside. Jaehyun hesitates before sliding inside, not wanting to track dirt into what is obviously a very carefully-maintainer interior. 

He gets in eventually, and some soft R&B plays as Johnny maneuvers away from the curb and sets off for the 5. 

"Hopefully rush hour is over," Johnny says mildly. 

"Rush hour lasts all day in this city," Jaehyun complains. 

"Not even," Johnny disagrees, "You ever driven the 60 at midnight? Perfect cruising." 

Jaehyun hums. He doesn't really have anything to add, but Johnny just starts singing along to the music on his playlist, and it's comfortable just like that. 

Traffic is okay. They make good time up through the valley, and before long the 710 split looms ahead, bumper-to-bumper even at this hour. Jaehyun wonders passively where Johnny is taking him. Hopefully not somewhere too expensive. He doesn't know if Johnny expects to pay for the meal or split it, but he doesn't want to run up a bill on their first date. 

He wonders if Johnny is going to try to take him for Korean food. He seems like the type who would find that funny, seeing as they're both Korean and Johnny seems to hang out with exclusively Koreans, if his staff are anything to go by. 

"You ever have a date try to take you to dinner in Koreatown just cuz you're Korean?" Johnny asks, as if he can read Jaehyun's mind. 

"Basically every date I've had...especially with the ones who aren't Asian," Jaehyun says. 

Johnny shakes his head. "When are the locals gonna understand understand that no KBBQ place quite hits the spot when you've had the real thing?" 

"The real thing?"

"Actual Korean barbeque in Korea," Johnny says, flapping a hand vaguely. "There's nothing like it."

"I've had good KBBQ here," Jaehyun argues, but Johnny looks resolute. 

"If it's not being served to me in a tiny little tin-roofed building by an old woman who looks like she wants to beat me down with a slipper for inconveniencing her, then I don't want it." 

Jaehyun laughs. "There's family-owned places in the States, too. I'm sure you can find an angry ahjumma here." 

"These are my _morals_ , Jaehyun, please don't argue with me." 

"Then tell me where we're really going." 

Johnny shrugs. "Somewhere super stereotypical. You'll hate it." 

"Sounds perfect." 

"Seriously, keep your expectations low. I'm very good-looking and that's all I bring to the table. Sorry not sorry." 

Johnny's tone is dry but he's obviously teasing, and Jaehyun beams as he watches the freeway snake into the distance in the side view mirror. 

They pull off the highway right in the heart of downtown. It's vaguely impressive, if only because city views with actual skyscrapers are so rare in California. It makes a tiny part of Jaehyun's brain miss Seoul. As Johnny casually veers into a parking garage and settles into the first spot that he sees, Jaehyun can't help his curiosity rising again. 

"Really, where are we going?" 

Johnny pulls down the mirror on the back of his sunshade, and peers at himself attentively, fixing flaws in his dark hair that Jaehyun cannot even see. 

"I...am a romantic," Johnny declares, finally. 

"Okay." 

"So I wanted to go somewhere romantic." 

"That still doesn't tell me anything," Jaehyun says. 

Johnny shoots him a glance. "I told you to lower your expectations. It's not particularly amazing. It's just a must-do for romantics in LA. Okay?" 

"Okay," Jaehyun agrees.

So off they go, Johnny leading the way through the streets with a kind of quiet pride. Jaehyun wonders if his bravado is real, or if it's how Johnny deals with nerves. He likes it either way. 

"You're tall, why are you so slow?" Johnny teases, falling back a half-step to keep pace with Jaehyun. 

"If I'm tall, then what are you?" 

Johnny laces his hand through Jaehyun's quickly, tugging him to walk faster. "I'm the one in charge, so walk faster." 

He takes them into the lobby of a pale-stucco building, and bypasses the restaurant on the ground floor for a small elevator in the back. Finally, a hint: the name of the restaurants in the building are written on the elevator floor guide. 

"Perch," Jaehyun reads, intensely aware that he and Johnny are still holding hands. 

Johnny nods. "Heard of it?" 

"Nope." 

"It's one of those places that soccer moms and unpopular vloggers visit to get mimosa-wasted," Johnny explains. "But it has a great view." 

"You don't have to keep talking it down. I'm sure we'll have fun," Jaehyun says. 

Johnny just smiles at him lopsidedly as the elevator reaches the 15th floor. "I'm just nervous." 

"Why are _you_ nervous?" Jaehyun asks incredulously.

"I haven't been out with anyone this handsome before." 

The hostess at the door calling a cheerful hello is the only thing that keeps Jaehyun from melting into a puddle right there in the foyer. She's a tiny girl with a round face and bobbed blonde hair, and frustratingly, she _also_ looks Korean.

"Nice to see you, Mr. Suh," the hostess says slyly. 

Jaehyun realizes with mortification that he didn't know Johnny's last name until this moment. 

"Always a pleasure, Wendy," Johnny replies. 

"You're down for two at eight-thirty?" Wendy recites, with a cursory glance at the host's station. "Follow me." 

Perch is gorgeous. 

Johnny didn't need to talk so much shit on it, because Jaehyun is properly wowed. It's a white mission-style building, with columns and wood paneling on the ceiling. Instead of dining chairs, most of the tables have armchairs and couches, and the seating is crammed together, artful and haphazard. It looks like a nightmare to serve, but it's got atmosphere.

Even now, in the dead of winter, the doors are open wide onto a patio lined with hedges and sprinkled with small dining tables, and beyond that, the rest of the LA skyline is at eye-level. 

Wendy leads them to a table on the patio, tucked right up against the plate glass that surrounds the dining area. It's set for two, candle flickering. 

"Here you go," she says, as they slide into their seats. 

Johnny looks at her knowingly. "Who's our server tonight?" 

Wendy feigns shock. "You know, I think Yixing has this section tonight. What are the odds?" 

"It would be super lucky if my old college roommate had a girlfriend who I introduced him to," Johnny says, winking at Jaehyun, "And it would be double lucky if they both worked at one of the trendiest restaurants in Downtown." 

"He'll be by soon," Wendy says, patting Johnny on the cheek affectionately. 

As she leaves, Jaehyun can't help but stare at Johnny in disbelief. 

"Do you have this whole city in your pocket?" 

Johnny considers this. "Nah. Just the Korean-Americans." 

"Just them," Jaehyun repeats. 

"And the Chinese-Americans, I guess," he amends. "Like this one." 

He points to the server approaching the table, a slim man in server's blacks whose handsome face stands out starkly in the dark of the restaurant. 

"Hello," the guy says brightly, as he reaches them, "I'm Lay, I'll be your server tonight." 

"This is Yixing," Johnny says. 

"But to the lovely Americans who would hurt me if I tried to make them pronounce Yixing, I am Lay," the man says, voice still customer-service perky but eyes glittering with dark humor. 

"What's your wine rec tonight, _Lay_?" Johnny asks. 

"For reds, the Foley, for whites, the Terlato," Yixing replies, his gaze fixed on Jaehyun. "Stop distracting me. Who is _this_?" 

"Jung Jaehyun," Johnny says. 

"Pleasure," Yixing grins like the cat who got the canary, " _You're pretty. Where did my dongsaeng find you?_ " 

Jaehyun blinks, taking in that this man who has just been introduced to him as Chinese-American with a very Chinese name just spoke fluent Korean at him. Why does this keep happening? Why did he even bother learning English if everyone is just going to know Korean anyway? 

"I'm a client," Jaehyun says, flustered. "At his salon." 

Yixing looks at Johnny accusingly. "That's shady business, John." 

"We'll have the truffle fries to start," Johnny says, as if Yixing hasn't said anything. 

"I could have you blacklisted." 

"And two glasses of the Terlato." 

"Might spit in one of them," Yixing says sweetly, "Apologies, Jaehyun, if I forget which one." 

And with that, Yixing is gone and Johnny is looking supremely self-satisfied. 

"You're a lot," Jaehyun says, before he can stop himself. 

Johnny shrugs, "Better than being not enough." 

"What happens if someone doesn't realize you're kidding when you act like an ass?" 

"I lived with Yixing for three years. If he doesn't know by now, he'll never figure it out," Johnny says. 

"Speaking of being an ass, this place is great," Jaehyun says. "You insulted it so much, I was starting to worry."

"It's got Yixing, so it can only be so good." 

"You've got a mean sense of humor, John Suh." 

"But you like me anyway." 

Johnny's grinning wickedly, and Jaehyun's grinning back, and something fond is growing in the pit of his stomach, when Yixing reappears with their wine. 

"Look at that, you found someone who can tolerate you," Yixing says, still saccharine, as he places a glass of white in front of each of them. 

"Funny, I remember saying the same thing when you hit it off with Wendy," Johnny says, matching his tone. 

Yixing rolls his eyes at Johnny, and sends Jaehyun a wide smile that's shockingly brilliant and genuine. "Your starters will be out soon. Take your time, okay? Dinner menu's not going anywhere." 

"I like him," Jaehyun says, as Yixing leaves them again. 

"Good," Johnny murmurs. 

It's so uncharacteristically soft that Jaehyun loses his train of thought. He just looks at Johnny for a moment, puzzling him over. He so obviously wants to impress, Jaehyun thinks. He had his friends look up Jaehyun's info and had even _more_ of his friends pull strings to get them dinner reservations. He's prickly, but that seems to just be his personality. It's strangely magnetic. 

Jaehyun can picture him as the kind of kid whom everyone wants in their circle, the kind of person whose little jabs and one-liners are even funnier when you're on the inside with him. 

He doesn't come back to the present until Johnny pokes him in the face with a french fry. 

At some point, Yixing must have brought them their food, because Johnny's got a steaming plate of cheese fries in front of him, and is holding one up to Jaehyun's mouth with his fingers. 

"Eat the damn fry, this is a nice restaurant," Johnny says. 

So Jaehyun bites it out of Johnny's hand, trying very hard not to be embarrassed while he does it, and _wow_ it's a good fry.

"Is this what truffles are like?" Jaehyun asks, "Because if so I need to eat more truffles." 

Johnny looks at the fries pensively. "I've had truffle fries a few other places and none of them are quite like this. One real win for this place." 

"Hey, that might be the first nice thing I've heard you say," Jaehyun teases. 

"I've said plenty of nice things about you," Johnny replies. 

Fuck, he's right. Jaehyun stuffs another fry into his mouth to save himself from answering. 

"Thanks for coming out with me," Johnny says, in that soft genuine voice again. 

"Thanks for asking me." 

"The pink hair is really pretty on you." 

Jaehyun pushes his bangs up self-consciously. "Jungwoo said it would look good." 

"Jungwoo knows my taste." 

Now _that_ is a lot. 

"What's your taste?" Jaehyun asks.

Johnny considers for a second, and then shrugs. "Never really thought about it before. What's yours?"

In a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, Jaehyun tells the truth. "Tall, dark, and handsome." 

"What a coincidence." 

Johnny probably thinks he's being subtle, but Jaehyun can see how he goes pink with pleasure as he sips his wine.

\---------------

As far as Jaehyun can tell, Yixing didn't spit into any of their food. 

He tells Johnny as much as the car pulls up in front of Jaehyun's apartment building. Johnny parks and bursts out laughing. 

"He would never," Johnny says, eyes crinkled up from laughing. "Actually...no, he might. But I think you're right." 

Jaehyun knows the date is almost over. It's late, past midnight, and Jaehyun is tipsy. They stayed at the restaurant talking and eating and joking with Wendy and Yixing for much too long. Johnny, for his part, was just delighted to be able to take Jaehyun home on the 60, empty stretches of highway where he drove juuuuust a little too fast. 

He doesn't want to date to be over. 

"You wanna come up?" Jaehyun asks, gesturing toward his apartment. 

Johnny raises an eyebrow. "Jung Jaehyun." 

"What?" 

"You know what that implies, sir. I never thought _you_ , of all people...your innocent face. All a ruse," Johnny sighs dramatically. 

Jaehyun grins. "I'm not implying anything. I just...don't want you to leave yet." 

"Well," Johnny pretends to think, "As long as you're not going to try anything salacious..." 

"I have a couple bottles of soju up there, I think." 

"If I drink more I can't drive home," Johnny points out. 

Jaehyun just shrugs at him, and gets out of the car. He meant what he said; it’s too early to even try to sleep with Johnny, he’s not ready. Too shy. Still, he wants…more. He walks purposefully toward his building, and is delighted to hear Johnny's car door open and close and the lock beep behind him. Johnny catches him as he opens the door. 

"I could come up for awhile," he says nonchalantly. 

"Perfect." 

\---------------

"I think you're setting me up," Johnny says. "I think you want me to stay the night." 

Jaehyun pauses where he's pouring Johnny a fourth shot of soju. "What gave you that idea?" 

"The fact that I told you I'm a heavyweight and you keep pouring me more alcohol." 

"If you don't want any more, just tell me."

Johnny tosses back the soju, and smacks his lips. "Yep, okay, I'm officially too tipsy to drive. Congrats." 

"How tipsy is too tipsy to consent?" Jaehyun asks, after he's finished his own shot. 

"Hard to say." 

They're sitting a good foot apart on Jaehyun's couch, lounging as they drink, but Jaehyun summons all his courage to lean a little closer. 

Johnny scrutinizes Jaehyun's face, which is now much nearer. "I don't think I'm too tipsy to consent. Are you going to ask me a question that needs my consent?" 

"I was gonna." 

"Go ahead." 

Jaehyun takes in Johnny's wide, calm eyes, the smirk playing on the corners of his mouth. God, he really is _so_ pretty. How did they end up here? 

"Can I kiss you?" 

"Been wanting to do it since you came into my salon lookin' all lost and adorable," Johnny grumbles. 

"That's not an answer." 

"Yes." 

And Jaehyun can't even process any of that because Johnny leans the rest of the way forward and fists both hands into Jaehyun's jacket and pulls him in and _kisses_ him. 

Suddenly Jaehyun finds himself sitting on Johnny's lap, one knee on either side of Johnny's hips, and there's a big hand smoothing back his stupid pink hair and everything has gone upside down and _wow_ he's a little tipsier than he thought. He kisses Johnny on the nose, and laughs, and then Johnny laughs, and then his brain shuts all the way off because Johnny kisses him again. 

They wake up, fully clothed and slightly embarrassed, spooning on the couch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm never getting a perm."
> 
> "If John gave it to you, you would."
> 
> "Johnny," Jaehyun corrects.
> 
> "Whatever. Don't go back there. Not so soon. It's a stupid idea."
> 
> (JohnJae Hair Salon AU)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fucking OOPS, this has expanded to THREE CHAPTERS instead of two haha look out for that sweet sweet ending sometime soon.
> 
> I got this part done in time for Johnny's birthday, GO ME!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!!!

Jaehyun bursts into Focus the next afternoon with a fucking story for Yugyeom. 

Unfortunately, as seems to be the case every time Jaehyun goes to a business with the intent of looking for someone specific, Yugyeom is not there. 

It's Bambam behind the counter who regards Jaehyun with curiosity and a little bit of pride. 

"My passion project!" he cries. "How'd it go? Where are my clothes?" 

"Where's Gyeom?" Jaehyun asks, instead of answering. 

"At home? Me and Gyu have the cafe today," Bambam replies, jabbing a thumb backwards at the figure of one Kim Mingyu in the back kitchen. 

"What good are you two?" Jaehyun complains. 

"You have the two better-looking parts of the throuple today, asshole. Tell me what happened!" Bambam pesters. 

Jaehyun is very excited to tell _someone_ , so Bambam and Mingyu will have to do. Even if Yugyeom will kill him later for not being the first one to know. 

"Your styling worked," Jaehyun says. 

"Did our Jaehyunnie finally get that good dick?" Mingyu asks, popping his head out the kitchen door. 

"Shhh!" Bambam sputters at him, "Don't interrupt!" 

"Not yet," Jaehyun says. 

"Yet, being operative," Mingyu says appreciatively. "You better lock that shit up, Jae, Johnny Suh is one eligible bachelor." 

Bambam whips around to stare at his boyfriend. "How the hell do you know Jaehyun's man?" 

"He's Korean, the odds are good," Jaehyun mutters. 

"My friend Minghao and his friend Sicheng are friends," Mingyu replies. "Not important." 

"Chinese-Americans. Still good odds,” Jaehyun says, though he knows nobody is listening.

"Tell me what _happened_ ," Bambam presses. 

Jaehyun can’t help the stupid grin that creeps onto his face. "We kissed." 

Mingyu fans himself with a wad of napkins. "Careful there, Jae, saying scandalous stuff like that." 

Bambam smacks him on the arm. 

"Like, a lot," Jaehyun says. "He slept over." 

"But you didn't sleep with him?" 

"It's too soon!" Jaehyun protests. 

"I mean, Gyeom and Gyu definitely did it on the first date but go off," Bambam says. 

"Jaehyunnie wouldn't do that, he's a romantic," Mingyu defends. 

"So's Johnny," Jaehyun adds wistfully. 

Mingyu gestures widely at him. "See?" 

"Are you gonna go out with him again?" Bambam asks. 

"I think so. I'll message him today, if he doesn't message first." 

"I hope you date Johnny, Jae," Mingyu says dreamily. "It would be so beautiful and pure." 

Jaehyun hopes so too. 

\---------------

They go out again. 

And again, and again, and then it becomes a weekly thing. Date nights. Long drives with Johnny's soft pop music and brunch cafes and shopping for k-pop CDs at the outlet mall and thrifting in Orange County. 

Nearly two months in, they're still keeping things casual, but they make progress in that Johnny finally figures out Jaehyun's best kept secret: his job.

Jaehyun is a DJ. 

Not a cringy wedding DJ or anything, it's not that dire. But he's a radio host on a daytime teen pop channel, and that's nearly as bad for a working professional. He does awful advertisements for makeup and skin care and diet pills and ridiculous things, and they make him put on a cutesy voice more often than anyone without a baby or a puppy at home should have to do a cutesy voice. He makes far too much money and has incredibly flexible hours, though, so he can't bring himself to quit.

It's his little secret, kept from everyone except Yugyeom and Yugyeom’s boyfriends. 

Until the day that he and Johnny are on the way back from a breakfast-for-dinner date at Norm's. While Jaehyun is half-dozing in the passenger's seat, Johnny turns the radio to the cursed channel, and Jaehyun is awoken by the soul-crushing sound of his own overeager radio voice. 

"You're listening to NCT1.27, and your hour of ad-free listening starts now!" 

As the opening bars of the latest Justin Bieber song float out of the car speakers, Johnny's face breaks into an elated, borderline maniac smile. 

"That was _you,_ Jae," Johnny says. 

"...No it wasn't?" Jaehyun tries weakly. 

"Oh my god." 

Johnny starts laughing, a full-body laugh that echoes around the car and brings tears to his eyes. 

"Oh my God, Jae, that's your secret job?! I thought you were a fucking camboy or something, Jesus fucking Christ," Johnny wheezes. 

"Sometimes I would rather be a camboy," Jaehyun says soberly.

"No, don’t get into that life. Radio is cool," Johnny assures him, wiping tears of joy out of his eyes.

“Well, that’s my worst secret out,” Jaehyun laments. “You wanna see my baby pictures now? My gross emo middle school selfies? Nothing can hurt me now.” 

“Is that a serious offer?” Johnny asks.

“No.”

“Cuz, like, I am very down. Extremely down.” 

“I said no.” 

“Wait, you were emo?” Johnny asks, the delight still clear in his voice.

“No,” Jaehyun denies immediately.

“You just said you were.” 

Jaehyun shakes his head. “Look, the amount of studded belts I had in 2009 are none of your concern.”

Johnny pouts, “I’ll ask your mom myself. She’ll show me your baby pics.” 

“You don’t know my mom,” Jaehyun dismisses. 

“ _Eomeoni!_ ” Johnny whines, “The baby pics!”

Jaehyun reaches across the console to smack him, and Johnny fends him off with one hand, eyes still on the road. 

But aside from small stumbles like that, things go well. 

One night, they're at Johnny's apartment watching a movie. His place is larger than Jaehyun's, his furniture nicer. Johnny swears up and down that he prefers being at Jaehyun's small, well-worn apartment. It's cozier, he says. Lived in. Loved. But Jaehyun jumps at any opportunity to go to Johnny's nicely-decorated place, instead. 

They're curled on the couch, Jaehyun mostly asleep and Johnny playing with Jaehyun's hair absently, running his fingers through the faded white-pink. It's mostly blonde now, the color gone from months of washing. 

"Your roots are really comin' in," Johnny says, tugging gently at the inch or so of black at the base of Jaehyun's hair. 

"Should I dye it again?" Jaehyun asks sleepily. 

Johnny makes a little noncommittal noise. "You've taken care of it well. You could do another color. Or you could go back to dark." 

" _You've_ taken care of it well," Jaehyun corrects.

And that's true; it's Johnny's insistence on what products at what times that has kept his hair from becoming crunchy and gross in its bleached-out state. 

"Well, decide. I'll book you an appointment." 

"Oh, I'm going back to Johnny & J's?" Jaehyun teases. 

"You have no choice." 

"Thanks." 

"D'you wanna see me or another stylist?" Johnny asks. 

Jaehyun opens his eyes, and turns his head to blink up at Johnny. He grins. 

"Surprise me." 

\---------------

_"Jaehyun-hyung!"_

The voice that welcomes Jaehyun into the salon, a couple days after that night at Johnny's place, is a familiar one. 

Jungwoo beams at him from behind one of the salon chairs, where he's working on a client. He waves one gloved hand cheerfully. 

"Hi," Jaehyun calls, before turning his attention to the front desk. 

He's met with yet another new face. 

"Hair color, hyung?" this boy asks.

Jaehyun nods. 

"I'm Jeno." 

Jeno is sturdily handsome, with a slightly-overlarge nose and fluffy dark hair. He's got the same vaguely young appearance as all the rest of Johnny's staff, easily fourteen or twenty-four, and his smile is bright as he leads Jaehyun back.

"What color?" Jeno asks, as they settle into a work station. 

"Last time I let Jungwoo pick," Jaehyun says. "Should he pick again?" 

Jeno beams, and nods. 

"Jungwoo-hyung, color!" he calls. 

As if he'd been prepared for this moment for months, Jungwoo replies instantly, "Purple." 

Jaehyun shrugs. He'd been fine with the pink, why not another cute color? Jeno looks at him for a moment, as if picturing the color, and then nods again. 

"Purple is good," Jeno says. 

And that's that. 

While Jungwoo chatters and sings with his client in the background, Jeno carefully bleaches the new black roots to match the rest of Jaehyun's pale hair. The kid is cute, Jaehyun decides. He has a habit of tapping his fingernails on the tools as he uses them, beating out little rhythms on the comb and dye brush. It reminds Jaehyun of ASMR YouTubers, the way he makes the soft noises while he works. As he's rinsing the bleach out, Jaehyun remembers that he has a very important question to ask. 

"Jeno?" 

"Mm?" 

"Did Johnny name this salon after you?" 

Jeno just blinks at him, so Jaehyun continues. "Johnny & J's. Are you J?" 

"No." 

"I didn't think so?" 

"Who..." Jeno trails off, his English falling short. 

"Jisung told me." 

Jeno grins. "No. Not me." 

Jaehyun can't help but wonder if they're playing an enormous joke on him. There's no reason that everyone should be so evasive about it. 

Maybe the J was an ex of Johnny's and nobody wants to tell him, the new romantic interest, about it. 

Maybe Johnny is a human trafficker who specializes in pretty Korean boys whose names begin with J. 

Maybe there's no meaning at all. 

Jaehyun puzzles over this as he's taken back to the chair, and as Jeno mixes his pale purple hair dye and begins applying it in thin careful layers. 

Jungwoo wanders over after a while, his client finished and gone. 

"Oh. Purple is good," he says, meeting Jaehyun's eye in the mirror with a thumbs-up. 

"Jungwoo," Jaehyun says. 

"Yes."

"For real. What does the J stand for?" 

Jungwoo thinks for a moment, exchanging a glance with Jeno. Jaehyun can't read either of their faces. 

"Jaemin." 

"Who the fuck is _Jaemin?_ " Jaehyun wants to cry in exasperation. 

"Last...member?" Jeno says uncertainly. 

" _He's the last stylist that works here. You haven't met him_ ," Jungwoo says in Korean.

"What the fuck," Jaehyun whispers. 

Unbothered, Jeno finishes his hair over the next hour. 

Jaehyun doesn't find out the truth that day. But he gets a really nice purple dye job, and yet another style picture on the Johnny & J's Instagram.

\---------------

Johnny's birthday is five days before Jaehyun's. 

Somehow, they make it through two months of dating before they find out each other's birthdays. It's not even on purpose, either. Johnny brings up the topic of Valentine's Day, which leads of Jaehyun admitting that the 14th is his birthday, which leads to Johnny saying that _his_ is the 9th. 

A joint birthday party is a wonderful excuse to meet each other's friends in ensemble, so that's exactly what they plan. 

They pick the 11th, a neutral date, and even though it's a weekday their friends are by and large available. Naturally, as all three of them are invited, Yugyeom, Bambam, and Mingyu offer up Focus as the venue, and it's a no-brainer to agree. 

No prep is really needed, as people chip in to bring booze and snacks the way that all good millennials and Gen Z-ers know how to do, so when the 11th rolls around, all Jaehyun and Johnny do is arrive at Focus a little while before their friends are set to come over. 

They find Yugyeom taking huge trays of pizza rolls out of the oven they usually use for pastries. 

"Thank fuck, I was worried there'd be no one to help when I inevitably burn myself," Yugyeom says, when he spies them. 

“You literally own a café and bake every day,” Jaehyun says. 

Yugyeom pouts. “I’m clumsy.”

"Why didn't you wait for someone?" Johnny asks, amused. 

"Because my stupid business partners abandoned me." 

"They're your romantic partners too," Jaehyun reminds him. 

"Maybe not anymore." 

“You’re gonna dump them over this?” Johnny teases, “You didn’t even burn the place down though.”

“They _abandoned_ me!” Yugyeom insists dramatically.

"Bambam is buying alcohol. He's got an excuse,” says Jaehyun.

Yugyeom dumps the pizza rolls onto a serving tray. "Whatever." 

Bambam does indeed return soon after with several heavy shopping bags full of alcohol, which Johnny helps him unpack and arrange on the counter while Jaehyun and Yugyeom finish up the last of the baked goods. There isn’t much left; Yugyeom has already cooked about ten packages of those pizza rolls, and what seems like an inappropriate amount of garlic bread.

Their friends start trickling in after dusk. Jeno and Jungwoo come in together, followed shortly by Yixing and Wendy and two more of Johnny's friends. Jisung arrives with another very pretty young man who Jaehyun doesn't know, and after that Jaehyun loses track. 

It seems that the guest list has spiderwebbed out a little, which is fine with him. There's only a few faces that he doesn't know, and they seem to all be friends of friends. 

He stays by the counter as people talk and eat and even dance a little. Someone has commandeered the speaker system that they usually use to play soft atmospheric music and put on something louder and more party-appropriate. Yugyeom’s at his side, and Johnny is a few feet away talking to a circle of guys, and it’s comfortable. It feels like a real birthday party, somehow, even though it’s just a little gathering in a space that he frequents anyway. 

Maybe it’s Johnny. Maybe that’s the difference.

Mingyu is one of the last to come back, three other guests in tow. He's talking animatedly to a muscular brown-haired guy who's holding hands with a tall, skinny blonde guy in loose khakis and a tunic, and - shockingly – Chris, the Focus regular, is with them. 

Jaehyun's on his fourth beer, which is why he just turns to Yugyeom and asks, "Why is Men in Black III here?" 

Yugyeom frowns, and follows his line of sight until he spies what Jaehyun sees. "Oh. You mean Chris." 

"Yeah. Who invited him?"

"Jaehyunnie...how many people is appropriate for one relationship?" 

"I can't answer that question, you're standing right in front of me." 

Yugyeom seems to consider this. "Three people is fun. But would four people work?" 

"I don't know." 

"It might," Yugyeom says, with conviction. "We're gonna try to find out."

"Isn't that dude straight?" 

"Shhhh." Yugyeom jams a finger up against Jaehyun's mouth. "Don't crush my dreams.”

"I'm damn sure he has a girlfri-" 

"Stop this. Johnny, shut him up." 

Jaehyun is too slow on the uptake, because suddenly Yugyeom is pushing him backwards into the circle of people beside them, and Johnny's catching him with one strong arm around his torso so that he doesn't topple to the floor. 

"Well, hello," Johnny says, readjusting his grip so that he's just resting one hand lightly on Jaehyun's waist. 

Jaehyun tucks himself into Johnny's side. "Yugyeomie wants to turn his throuple into a quadruple." 

"With you?" Johnny asks, amusement clear. 

"No, God no. With Chris." 

"I don't know Chris." 

"That's okay." 

"But speaking of," Johnny gestures across the circle that Jaehyun was flung into, "I don't think you've met Jaeminnie." 

The elusive Jaemin. Jaehyun's delightfully foggy, tipsy brain focuses on him slowly. He's shockingly pretty, slim and blonde with an elfish face. 

"Okay," Jaehyun decides. 

"Okay?" Johnny echoes. 

"Okay," Jaehyun repeats. 

"Okay." 

Ah, that. That's what Jaehyun loves about Johnny. He just takes whatever dumb shit Jaehyun says and rolls with it. No drama. No questions. Johnny's such a catch. 

He tells him as much, patting his cheek gently, and Johnny laughs. 

"Thanks, babe." 

Babe. The pet name warms Jaehyun down to his toes. Usually they're pretty straightforward, sticking to each other's names, or maybe a bro or a dude here or there. Johnny must be tipsy, too. Cute.

He can feel the eyes of all of Johnny's friends on him, but it's not uncomfortable. Not pressing or questioning or anything. Maybe that's because most of these people have washed and cut and colored his hair before, and that's an intimacy all its own. 

Or maybe it's just because they like him. Jaehyun kind of hopes it's the latter.

"Yo, he is kinda pretty," says a voice that Jaehyun doesn't recognize. 

He looks around, startled at being addressed like that. The voice belongs to a short, slim boy who's tucked nearly as cozily into Johnny's other side, peering around Johnny's torso to look at Jaehyun with wide eyes. 

"I'm Mark," the boy says, as an afterthought. 

Mark is cuddling Johnny, which means he has good taste. Jaehyun smiles at him. Johnny, always gentle and kind Johnny, wrenches his arm around so that Mark is pinned in his armpit. 

"Oh yeah, this is Marky. Our resident het," Johnny says, squeezing his arm so that Mark sputters and shoves him, trying to escape. 

"I could be gay if I wanted!" Mark protests. 

"There are some people in this room who've been waiting a long time for that, buddy," Johnny says, with fake sympathy. 

"Oh, ew," Mark's face screws up in disgust where it peeks out from under Johnny's arm, "Bro, no." 

"I didn't mean me." 

Mark relaxes. "Oh." 

This guy's like a cartoon character, all wide eyes and smooth pretty face and bouncy childish eagerness. Jaehyun unwinds Johnny's arm from around his neck, and Mark relaxes back against the bartop. 

"Nice to meet you," Mark says. "Hyung talks about you a lot, like _Jesus_ , a lot." 

Jaehyun tries not to preen. "He does?" 

"Hoh yeah. Annoys the fuck outta me." 

"Don't be ungrateful," Johnny chastises. "I know you're single and alone and I'm fulfilling your life with my tales of romance." 

He called Johnny 'hyung,' Jaehyun notes. Yet another very pretty younger Korean guy in Johnny's social circle. What is the _deal_ with this? It's so specific, so strange. It's like Johnny goes to casting calls for cute Asian boy extras and picks up the best-looking ones for himself.

"Where do you collect all these stray Korean kids, Johnny?" Jaehyun asks. 

Johnny shrugs. "Some of them, college. I was in the Asian Student organization and we just kinda stuck together. Some of them, the hairdressing school I do residencies at." 

"I didn't know you taught," Jaehyun gasps, his surprise exaggerated by the alcohol.

"I'm literally the best-rated stylist in this town," Johnny points out. "It would be a waste if I didn't."

"Way to be humble," Mark says around the top of his beer. 

Jaehyun blinks, as another thought floats into his head. "Mark is not a J name." 

"You haven't forgotten the alphabet yet. Means we gotta get another drink in you," Johnny replies. 

Jaehyun laughs. "No, no, I mean, all of your other friends have J names. Mark isn't a J name." 

"Mark also isn't a hair dresser," says Mark. 

"He's a dancer," Johnny agrees. 

"I dance a little," Mark says, looking embarrassed. 

From across the circle, Yixing cuts in, "He's got nine million YouTube subscribers. He dances more than a little." 

Okay, so Johnny's a top-rated hairdresser who's friends with bougie waiters and YouTube stars. It makes sense, in a way, that everyone in his circle is similarly impressive in niche ways. And judging by how Mark and Yixing and Jungwoo and everyone else hang on Johnny's every word, it seems like he charms everyone he meets the way that Jaehyun is charmed. 

Johnny's so funny. He acts so mean and sarcastic but he collects younger friends and seems to relish being a hyung even though he's fully American and would never have used the title otherwise. 

It makes Jaehyun feel all soft and gooey inside, like a chocolate chip cookie. 

Johnny must pick up on that melty cookie feeling, because he leans down and kisses the top of Jaehyun's head. "Having fun?" 

"A lot of fun," Jaehyun says. 

"Even though all my friends are stupid?" 

"They're not. I like them." 

"Thank God," Johnny says seriously, "I've spent a long time collecting these dudes. I would hate to have to break up with you because you didn't like 'em." 

A tiny thrill runs through Jaehyun at the word 'collecting.' Exactly the word he would have used.

"You put up with Bambam _and_ Yugyeom," Jaehyun replies. 

"They're not bad."

Wordlessly, Jaehyun points across the room, toward the central area of the cafe that's become a makeshift dance floor. The music has turned faster, a little bit sexy, and right smack in the middle of the room are Bambam and Yugyeom, dancing with a very flustered looking Chris sandwiched between them. Jaehyun didn't even know three-way grinding was a thing, but they're making it work. Mingyu is seated at a table near them, an entire bottle of Hennessy in front of him and a stupid smile on his face as he watches. 

"You were not kidding about the quadruple," Johnny says mildly. 

"It's kinda nice, isn't it?" Jaehyun asks. 

"Kinda. Sure."

They're not the only ones taking advantage of the party atmosphere. Those two guys that Jaehyun doesn't know - Muscles and Khaki - who came in with Mingyu are sitting in the corner, kissing, Khaki on Muscles' lap. 

Johnny, too, is letting his hand dip into Jaehyun's back pocket, holding him by the ass instead of by the waist. Jaehyun just lets it happen. It's his birthday, dammit.

The music cuts off soon after, replaced by Wendy's loud voice demanding that everyone gather by the bartop. They obey, slowly, in their twos and threes, and when the lot of them are crowding the counter, someone jams Jaehyun into one barstool and Johnny into another beside him. 

Two people emerge from the kitchen holding a tray with an enormous cake between them. One of them is Jisung, the baby hairdresser, and the other is a similarly-pretty young man with honey-brown hair and plush lips that are curved into a shy smile.

"Sicheng!" Johnny cries, "You shouldn't have." 

"You had to have a birthday cake, hyung," Mark says. 

They place the tray down in front of Johnny and Jaehyun. It's a gigantic tiramisu, bigger than anything Jaehyun has ever seen. He wonders where on Earth they got it. There are two Ken dolls shoved feet-first into the cream topping, one with dark hair and one with purple hair colored by what looks like Sharpie. 

"What the fuck is that? It's not their wedding!" Yugyeom calls, eyeing the dolls with disdain. 

"It's a personal touch," Yixing defends. "I made those myself." 

"They're so cute," Jaehyun coos, bending down for a closer look. 

Both dolls are wearing jackets and jeans with no shirts, which betrays that Yixing did indeed prepare them himself. They're holding hands, too, the tiny plastic hands stuck together with a wad of tape. 

Johnny leans into Jaehyun. "Is it bad that I like them?" 

"The dolls?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"We're keeping them," Johnny decides. 

"Now, that's a little far." 

"We can make them-" Johnny lowers his voice to a dramatic whisper, "-have sex." 

"We can have sex ourselves, like in real life," Jaehyun objects. 

Johnny doesn't deign to answer that, and instead turns to watch Sicheng light the single candle in the center of the cake. It's a big number 2, conspicuous since they're both far out of toddlerhood.

"You're turning different ages," Sicheng explains. 

Mark nods wisely. "So you can fill in the end yourselves. Kinda genius." 

“Do you not know how old we are?” Johnny asks.

“Dude, no, what?!”

“I’m insulted.” 

“Bro!” Mark protests, “No!”

Jaehyun considers for a moment. "That means we only get one wish.”

"Nah, one each. Loophole," Mark replies. 

That sounds good enough to Jaehyun, still slightly drunk and now dazzled by the attention and the music and the cake and Johnny laughing beside him, so he closes his eyes and thinks. 

"Are we gonna sing?" Bambam asks, from somewhere behind them. 

"None of us can sing," Wendy replies, "You really wanna put them through that?" 

Jaehyun kinda wants to call bullshit, that he's heard Johnny and Yugyeom and Yixing and even Wendy herself sing before and that they’re all good at it. But then someone's shouting to "Make a wish!" and the call goes up from all sides. 

"One," comes Johnny's voice, "Two..."

Jaehyun wishes. 

"Three." 

He opens his eyes, and they blow out the candle together. 

\---------------

One day, around six months into dating, Jaehyun stops by Johnny's apartment unannounced, calling out a greeting as he toes off his shoes. 

It's become normal for them; they’ve long since outgrown arranged meetups and carefully planned trips to each other’s homes. Johnny is a trusting and carefree kind of guy so his door is usually unlocked. All Jaehyun has to do is announce himself to avoid any projectiles being lobbed his way, if he’s mistaken for an intruder.

It's unnerving when Jaehyun doesn't get a response. Usually a teasing ‘honey, I'm home!’ will get an equally cheesy response from Johnny, yelled from somewhere deeper inside the apartment. Today, he can hear hurried footsteps, the sounds of Johnny scurrying around and the sound of his voice muttering lowly.

"Johnny?"

"...in the bathroom,” comes the defeated-sounding response.

Well, that's definitely not like Johnny. 

Concerned, Jaehyun hurries to the bathroom, where he finds his boyfriend leaning heavily on the counter. His face is puffy, and his eyes are red-rimmed. It’s jarring, honestly. Johnny is pretty open about his emotions, but Jaehyun has never seen him cry before.

"What happened?" he asks, stupefied.

"Jae," Johnny smiles even though the rest of his face is still tear-stained and miserable, "I was hoping to clean myself up before you got here."

"That's bullshit," Jaehyun says, "Tell me what happened."

"It's not a big deal," Johnny insists weakly 

"Obviously it is if it made you cry like that."

"Nah, Jae. I'm the mood maker. I'm not supposed to bum you out." 

Jaehyun's not in the mood for Johnny's dismissive humor. Something's gone wrong, and his refusal to say what has all the worst-case scenarios flying through Jaehyun's head. 

"Is it your mom?" 

Johnny shakes his head, "No, she's fine. Everyone's fine."

"Not Jungwoo? Jeno?"

"Everyone is fine," Johnny repeats. 

"This is not the face someone makes when everything is okay," Jaehyun objects, taking Johnny's face in his hands and making him meet his eye. 

"This isn’t really a problem you can fix," Johnny says. 

"I can still listen," says Jaehyun, "C'mon, we're not gonna keep hanging out in the bathroom."

He lets go of Johnny's face in favor of his hand, and leads his poor shaky-legged boyfriend out to the living room, and settles him on the couch. Johnny lets Jaehyun shove a throw pillow onto his lap and waits while Jaehyun goes to find a bottle of water. When everything is settled and Johnny's gulped down half the water, Jaehyun tries again. 

"Johnny."

"What?"

"Tell me what's wrong."

Johnny twists the corner of the throw pillow between his long fingers, worries his lip between his teeth. And finally, he sighs.

"I'm gonna lose the salon," Johnny whispers, his voice just barely audible. 

"What?" 

“You heard me.”

Jaehyun sputters, “I heard you but it doesn’t make sense!” 

"I'm gonna lose the lease. I don’t have the money to start over from scratch like this, if I lose this lease I lose the salon."

Jaehyun grips the couch harder. "No. They can't evict you, you've done nothing wrong. What do you _mean,_ you’re gonna lose the lease?" 

"Some company is trying to buy out the space. They're willing to buy out my lease, too." 

"Can they do that?" 

Johnny laughs humorlessly. "They can do whatever they want, if they have money." 

"There have to be protections about this kind of thing."

"The protections are all about giving adequate time to move out and returning deposits and stuff," Johnny says. 

"Have you talked to the landlord?"

"Of course, first thing," Johnny nods listlessly.

"And?"

"And he's willing to give me a month to figure everything out according to the law, and then let them evict me." 

Johnny takes a shuddering breath, more tears welling up in his eyes. It breaks Jaehyun's heart. 

"What will the kids do?" Johnny asks quietly. 

"Hairdressing is a solid career. If it comes to that, they'll be okay," Jaehyun says. 

"But I hired them for a reason," Johnny insists, "They don't have to _worry_ if they work for me. About being misunderstood, or about someone trying to fuck with their pay because they're foreign, or-"

Johnny babbles until he runs of steam, just barely holding back a sob as he twists the hem of the throw pillow again.

"They have a good setup with me. I can't just...let them go." 

Jaehyun lets one hand rest on Johnny's leg, rubbing circles while he calms down again. It's hard to watch someone as calm and unflappable as Johnny be so upset.

"What company is it?" Jaehyun asks suddenly, "The one trying to move in?" 

Johnny pauses, the water bottle halfway to his mouth. "They're called SM Studio. They do broadcast or something." 

Jaehyun's blood runs cold. 

"They're gonna buy like four units in my building and knock down walls, make it one huge office space," Johnny says. 

"Oh." 

"It sounds like they have plenty of money. I don't know why they need MY space, in particular." 

"Yeah, I...I don't know," Jaehyun says softly. 

Johnny sighs heavily. "Well, there's no use being more upset tonight. What do you want to eat?" 

They go through the motions, ordering dinner and watching TV until they fall asleep on the couch, but the whole time, Jaehyun feels sick to his stomach. 

\---------------

"You're listening to NCT1.27!" Jaehyun says soullessly into his mic. "Kicking it off with the latest from Jackson Wang, here's _Titanic!_ " 

When the hip-hop music starts playing, Jaehyun switches off his mic gratefully. He's been on live all day, and even though he's sitting alone in his studio in sweatpants, it's still grueling to be on point for that long. The short breaks during songs are more than welcome. 

Of course, there's a knock on his door right as he relaxes. The soundproof panel creaks open to reveal his on-air producer, looking harried. 

"Everything okay?" Jaehyun asks, "I have like two minutes and then I'm back on."

Henry sighs dramatically. "More ad spots." 

He hands Jaehyun a wad of papers, advertisements from sponsor companies that need to be read on air between songs. 

"Why so many?" Jaehyun whines. 

"They're trying to generate extra cash before the move," Henry says. "I guess there's some expenses they weren't expecting. Something about leasing, I dunno. I tuned out Sooman when he was complaining." 

Jaehyun glances up at the massive SM Studios logo painted on the wall behind his DJ station as if it's watching him. Knowing their CEO, it might be. 

"I see," Jaehyun mutters. 

"Keep up the ace work, kiddo!" Henry sends him finger guns, and backs out of the studio without another word. 

Jaehyun thumbs through the pile of ads. The first one is for some bougie skincare brand, and there's a handwritten note scrawled at the top asking for "cutesy as possible lmao sorry" in what is definitely Henry's handwriting. 

Fucking great. He has to help raise funds to destroy Johnny's career AND he has to do aegyo while he's at it. 

Jaehyun hasn't gotten around to explaining to Johnny that it's _his_ employer that's trying to move into the salon's studio space, that he works for SM Studios and that he will likely work in the former Johnny & J's if the takeover happens. It's a soul-crushing task to ask of anyone, really. Explaining to his own boyfriend that he's partially responsible for all of this...Jaehyun would rather pull his fingernails out. 

The song ends, and the little jingle cues up Jaehyun's return to air. He looks down at the advertisement again, and he has an idea.

A bad idea. 

But an idea. 

"Wow!" Jaehyun says into his mic, willing some pep back into his voice, "Only bops, this dude. Amazing." 

He clicks around on his desktop computer, cuing up the next song. 

"Heads-up for all you beauty enthusiasts outside the valley," Jaehyun says, smirking, "If you're looking for an absolutely baller blowout, a pro cut-and-color, hit up Johnny & J's salon off Harbor. Insta handle is johnnyjhair, that's j-o-h-n-n-y-j-h-a-i-r all lowercase." 

Nobody bursts into the studio to assassinate him. Not Henry, not the CEO. Jaehyun smirks wider. 

"Best salon I've ever been to. Alright, we got some underground hits for you now, folks, for our hip-hop hour. Here's 3RACHA taking it away with _We Go_." 

More rap music fills the studio, and Jaehyun switches off the mic again, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He's just done something very, very stupid. 

\---------------

Jaehyun gets the perm. 

He's gonna fucking kill Kim Yugyeom for mentioning the idea to Johnny over brunch one morning, because without his meddling, Johnny would have never even considered it. And why would he? Jaehyun's has enough hair treatments for a lifetime, thanks.

But no, Yugyeom is a little bitch, and now Jaehyun's dragging himself up to Johnny & J's that Saturday morning. To get a perm. From Johnny. 

He trundles up the stairs into the salon, calming down in spite of himself at the thought of some time in the clean, empty white salon with Johnny and some pop music. The atmosphere of the place is so good...so calm...

Only, no, it isn't, because when Jaehyun opens the door, he finds no less than eight girls in the waiting area. They range in age from maybe sixteen to maybe twenty-four, and they're talking and giggling loudly. 

What the fuck? The place is never this busy.

One girl is at the counter, chattering away at a very flustered-looking Jungwoo, who meets Jaehyun's confused glance over her shoulder. 

"From 1.27," the girl is saying, oblivious and cheerful, "The DJ said it was nice, but, like, WOW. I didn't know the staff would all be so _cute_." 

Oh, God. 

Oh, _fuck_. 

"Yeah, cute," Jungwoo agrees helplessly. "All done. Please wait." 

The girl flounces away from Jungwoo, and Jaehyun steps up robotically. He cannot let them know that this is his doing. It’s only been four days since Jaehyun put out the unofficial advertisement, and while no one at his office has mentioned it, it seems like the listeners paid attention.

" _Hyungie, what the hell,_ " Jungwoo hisses in Korean, " _We have never had this many customers at once!_ "

"That's good, isn't it?" Jaehyun asks. 

" _Well, sure, for profit,_ " Jungwoo sniffs, "But now...so busy." 

Jaehyun shrugs with what he hopes is convincing innocence, and leans against the counter to wait for Johnny. He wonders if there will even be time for his unofficial appointment, with all these real clients. 

"Is that my Jae-"

Johnny's voice cuts off as he rounds the wall that separates the hair wash stations from the rest of the studio. He looks dumbfounded, mouth open unabashedly as he takes in all the girls. It seems as though they’ve accumulated while he’s been out of sight. 

"What is this?" he asks Jungwoo weakly. “There were only two of them like ten minutes ago?” 

Jungwoo just shrugs. Jaehyun goes over to give his very shocked boyfriend a hug. 

"You guys got popular," he comments into Johnny's shoulder. 

Johnny strokes his back gently. "I guess so. Jesus Christ." 

Jaehyun smiles to himself, and pulls away to go wait at Johnny's styling station. 

"Woo, call Jeno and Jaemin and see if they can come in," Johnny is saying, as he follows, "You and Sungie aren't going to be enough hands, today." 

Jungwoo grumbles something in Konglish, and Johnny meets Jaehyun's eye in the mirror. 

"It's good, right? More business?" Jaehyun asks. 

Johnny's smile is shocked but sincere. "I think so, Jae." 

That's good enough for him. 

\-------------

The curly hair is a good look on Jaehyun. 

It's unanimous. Johnny, the other stylists, the starry-eyed girls getting cuts and deep-conditions from Johnny's attractive young staff...everyone agrees. Curly hair suits Jaehyun. 

It's a little embarrassing. 

But looking in the mirror, he can kind of see it. His hair is its natural brown again, but the new texture is kind of nice. Yugyeom's gonna shit a brick, that traitor. 

"Like a little doll," Johnny says fondly, messing with the gentle waves. 

"That's not creepy at all," Jaehyun teases. 

Johnny snorts. "I meant that it's cute."

"Cute," agrees Jeno, from the next station, where he's carefully brushing out a teenage girl's freshly-colored navy blue hair.

His client nods her head eagerly, "Super cute." 

That makes Johnny laugh. "See?" 

Jaehyun blushes, and Johnny presses a kiss to the top of his new curly head, and the girl coos before turning her attention back to her phone. 

"Remind me to thank Yugyeom next time I see him," Johnny comments. 

"Yeah, fuck that guy. This was all his idea."

Johnny grins. "First good idea he's ever had." 

\---------------

After that first success, Jaehyun gets bolder. 

He's at work, the Monday after his perm appointment. He has a six-hour live block ahead of him, and Henry has delivered the usual fat stack of ads that need to go on-air. But those aren't important. Not to Jaehyun. 

Johnny cannot know that Jaehyun is the one sending these new clients. Johnny is independent, almost to a fault. Jaehyun knows that Johnny would put a stop to it, if he knew. He wouldn't want Jaehyun risking his job just to give fake unpaid shout outs to his boyfriend's business. 

But Johnny doesn't listen to Jaehyun's radio channel. He knows it makes Jaehyun uncomfortable when his friends listen in, and Johnny is respectful and kind and therefore strictly avoids 1.27 at all times. It's almost too easy for Jaehyun to keep doing what he's doing.

The first ad slot, right after his introduction and theme music, is another freestyle. 

"You all knocked it out of the park last week," Jaehyun says, in his best radio voice, "Keep it up, kids. If you need your hair looking fresh, hit up Johnny & J's in Fullerton."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Muscles and Khaki are Jungkook and Namjoon u w u 
> 
> (I have a whole AU series about NamKook, and this work takes place in the same universe as those HAHA if any of yall stan BTS/GOT7/Stray Kids, you'll like those works too)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm never getting a perm."
> 
> "If John gave it to you, you would."
> 
> "Johnny," Jaehyun corrects.
> 
> "Whatever. Don't go back there. Not so soon. It's a stupid idea."
> 
> (JohnJae Hair Salon AU)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit later than anticipated but I'm here, to present the ending of Johnny & J's! 
> 
> I'm notoriously horrible at finishing multichaps, so y'all can consider yourselves VERY LUCKY that I got all the way through this for you. I think it's pretty cute~
> 
> As always, props to Jaehyun and Johnny for being out there, built like that.

"You've been really busy lately." 

Jaehyun tries to make it sound as innocent as possible. He knows Johnny has seen a sharp uptick in customers at the salon. He also knows that it's all because of his sneaky radio ads. Unlikely as it seems when he’s sitting in his booth at 4 AM, Jaehyun apparently has significant influence over the local teens.

"Crazy busy," Johnny agrees. "I've had to have all the boys on, the last few days. We've never had to do that before." 

"Is it okay, though? You're not too tired or anything?" 

"Nah." 

"Really?" 

"I'm enjoying the extra income, and the extra buzz," Johnny admits. "It's good to have the cushion." 

"Yeah?" Jaehyun replies, trying desperately to hide his glee. 

Johnny shrugs. “I mean, I can pay everyone. I can pay bills. That’s all I need, right?” 

“You’d think this many new clients would mean a lot more money, though.” 

“Well,” Johnny glances sidelong at him. "It _is_ kind of a lot more. If I do have to leave my studio, I might eventually have enough to start over." 

"I still think you could work something out with the landlord," Jaehyun says. 

"Like what?" 

"Like..." Jaehyun thinks for a second, "Like, what if you could pay out rent in advance? Or pay more every month?" 

Johnny wrinkles his nose. "I don't know how that would help." 

"I dunno, I'm not a lawyer. Just...you're already a tenant, and you're a good tenant. It makes more sense to keep you than to gamble on a new tenant." 

“Landlords like money.”

“No, landlords like _easy_ money.”

"I'll think about it," Johnny cedes. "But I'm trying not to rock the boat, right now." 

"No, that's fair," Jaehyun agrees. 

But he's heard all he needs to hear. Johnny is okay with the increase in clients. Johnny is happy to have more income. 

Time to step the fuck up.

\---------------

“You already know I’m boutta plug Johnny & J’s in Fullerton,” Jaehyun says into his mic, fake enthusiasm cranked up to a level ten. “Best cut and color outside the valley.”

He runs through the salon’s Instagram handle and services offered for what must be the tenth time that week, ignoring the way the soundproof door inches open and then closed again behind him. When the next song is queued up and introduced, Jaehyun slides his headphones off and shoves his mic set away from his face, and turns to his company. 

It’s Henry, his producer, which is strange. He never interrupts broadcasts, careful to wait until after the live segments end so that there are no interfering sounds on air. But Henry, cheerful and sarcastic Henry, is standing there looking decidedly uncomfortable, leaning against the door. 

“Hey bud?” Henry says warily. 

“Yeah?” 

“What…what was that?” 

Jaehyun looks at him. “What was what?”

“That plug,” Henry says, giving him an expression that is strangely desperate and also stern. “That wasn’t in your ad briefs for today.” 

“The ad spot?” Jaehyun asks. 

He’s playing dumb. Truth be told, it’s become so second-nature for Jaehyun to plug Johnny & J’s during his live hours, he’d almost forgotten that he’s not supposed to be doing it. 

“We’ve never had any sponsored ads from a place called Johnny & J’s,” Henry says gently. 

That’s true.

“Okay.”

“You know you’re only supposed to read the ads I give you.”

Jaehyun nods. 

“The studio manager heard you giving one of those ads on air,” Henry says plainly, “And I’ve been covering for your ass, Jae, but I can’t do it anymore.” 

“Henry, I-”

“I don’t know what Johnny & J’s is, or why you’re doing this, and I don’t really care,” Henry says. “I care about you keeping your job. So you gotta cut it out, Jae.” 

Jaehyun stands up to meet his producer where he stands. “I’ll sound insane if I explain what’s going on, but…I can’t just stop.” 

“They’ll fire you.”

“Why is it a big deal?” Jaehyun asks, and he feels like an ass as he says it, because he _knows_ why.

Henry laughs, disbelieving but not mean. “Because the studio pays your salary with ad money? Because advertising is how media outlets stay afloat? It’s not a choice, bud, it’s kind of an order. From up above.” 

“Henry…this is really important to me,” Jaehyun says desperately. 

“I’m not trying to harsh your mellow, Jae,” Henry replies, holding up his hands in defense, “I’m just the mouthpiece. You gotta knock it off.” 

Henry gives him a tight little smile and goes back out into the office, leaving Jaehyun at his booth with a threat hanging over his head.

\---------------

Several days later, Jaehyun looks around at the motley crew he's assembled for a lunchtime meeting at Focus. He's cashed in all his favors and pulled a bunch of strings, but he's got all the people he wanted to see seated around a corner table in the cafe: Jungwoo, Mark, Yugyeom, Yixing, and Chris.

"Yo, your coffee's really good," Mark says to Yugyeom. 

"It's the best in town," interjects Chris, who has foregone said coffee for a peach smoothie. 

Mark nods. "I kinda think so too, now. Like, whoa." 

"Thank you," Yugyeom says, putting a hand over his heart, "Your kindness. So wonderful." 

Yixing points one graceful finger at Chris. "You look...so familiar." 

"We met at their birthday party," Chris says, nodding toward Jaehyun. 

"No, not that," Yixing looks thoughtful. "It'll come to me, just wait." 

Chris looks slightly nervous at that, so Jaehyun takes over. 

"Okay, as great as the coffee is, I invited you here for a reason," Jaehyun says. 

"I work here," Yugyeom says. 

Jaehyun fixes him with a look. "For one fucking second, can you let me live?"

"What fun would that be?" 

Jungwoo, the angel, shushes Yugyeom fiercely and gestures for Jaehyun to continue. 

"Now, you all gotta promise not to freak out, and not to tell Johnny," Jaehyun warns. 

"That sounds...really not good," says Mark. 

But Yixing looks serious. "What's wrong?" 

"Johnny might lose the lease for the salon," Jaehyun says. 

A bunch of things happen at once.

“ _What?!_ ” Mark squawks, like he’s just been kicked. 

Chris chokes on his smoothie, and Yugyeom smacks him on the back until he stops coughing. Yixing is rubbing his temples, looking like an exasperated parent. 

“Really?” Jungwoo asks, quietly.

Jaehyun nods. "If that happens, he doesn't have the money to move all his supplies or to pay down on a new place. He would have to give it all up." 

Jungwoo looks horrified, and Jaehyun can't blame him. It's his job in the balance, too, and Johnny hasn't told them anything.

“I’m sorry you had to hear it from me,” Jaehyun says. 

“No. It’s okay,” Jungwoo insists solemnly.

"But that's why I called you guys, specifically. I've been," Jaehyun fidgets, "Helping him. Secretly." 

"That's romantic," Chris says, grinning, now that there isn’t smoothie in his lungs. 

"How?" asks Yugyeom. 

"I've been putting out ads on my radio show. Telling people to go to Johnny & J's." 

Jungwoo's jaw drops, and he points at Jaehyun accusingly. "You did that?" 

Jaehyun nods, "But it's not working fast enough. I think I figured out what has to happen. We need Johnny & J's to be famous. Like, to the point that it doesn't make _sense_ to let it shut down." 

"Oh mah gawd," Mark says, his weird little accent mangling the words, "We're like your Avengers. That's dope!" 

Yixing nods slowly, as he's piecing together what he's heard. "So I can get the word out at work. All kinds of people come into the bar, I can send more than a couple rich soccer moms your way." 

"Exactly," Jaehyun says, relieved. "Yeah, that's the kind of thing I was thinking."

"Once they meet Johnny and the crew, they'll be regulars. Trust me," Yixing smirks. “Those girls are always after a pretty face and a nice set of pecs.”

"Mark, your YouTube channel," Jaehyun says, turning to him next, trying not to think about soccer moms ogling Johnny at work. "If you even just mention that you get your hair done there, people will show up." 

Mark rubs his hands together, conniving. "Aw man, I got this!" 

"I can get him celebrity clients," Chris says suddenly. 

Jaehyun turns to him, shocked. He had invited Chris on a whim, a vague hunch that he could be helpful. The guy is mysterious, with his metal briefcase and his whole demeanor, but their awkward café regular rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous? He did not expect that. 

"Seriously?"

Chris's eyes glint with humor. "Name a name. I can get them." 

Jaehyun's bad with celebrities, which is ironic since he works in entertainment, but he thinks about the names he reads all the time at work. "Jackson Wang." 

"I'm his video producer. That’s my day job." 

"AGUST D." 

"Old work friend."

"3RACHA." 

Chris smirks. "3RACHA? You're looking at 3RACHA." 

Yixing smacks his hand on the tabletop excitedly. "That's it! You're Chris Bang!" 

Mark looks similarly impressed. "You're shitting me. I did a routine to you guys' song like two weeks ago." 

Chris blinks at him. "You're Mark Lee?!" 

"You're CB97?!" 

"You're _famous_." 

" _You're_ famous!" 

"I've lost track of what's going on," Jaehyun interrupts, "But that's okay. Chris, you get us some famous clients. Even just one teen idol coming in would help." 

Chris just sends him a grin, and starts texting furiously. 

"Jungwoo," Jaehyun turns to him next, and switches to Korean, " _You need to keep things normal at the salon. Johnny can't suspect that we're plotting all of this out._ "

Jungwoo nods seriously, "He would be...embarrass." 

"Yeah, the dude hates askin' for help," Mark agrees. 

"Wait," Yugyeom cuts in, "Why am I here, then? I don't have a cool job or famous friends." 

"This is your cafe and you would pitch a fit if I had this meeting without you," Jaehyun says sweetly. 

Yugyeom punches him hard on the arm. 

"Ow!" 

"Jungkook and Jackson are on it," Chris reports. 

"...Cool," Jaehyun says, “Am I supposed to know what that means?” 

Chris’s smile is conniving. “Just wait. This is the best possible outcome. Jackson-hyung will come through for you.” 

“Okay.”

"Well," Yixing says, "This has been very fun, but I have work soon. So." 

"Right, yeah, that's...that's all I wanted, guys," Jaehyun says. "I just can't let Johnny go through this alone. He'd never ask for help, so..."

"So we have to help him forcibly, I get it," Yixing says, standing up. 

"Yeah."

He claps Jaehyun on the shoulder as he passes on his way to the exit. "You're good for him, kid."

Chris and Mark excuse themselves, too, talking eagerly about rap flow and white balance and other things that Jaehyun doesn't really understand. He walks them to the door and waves as they leave together, and when he comes back to the table, Jungwoo is staring at him fondly. 

"You're cute, Jaehyunnie-hyung," Jungwoo says. 

"Cute?" Jaehyun repeats. 

"Yes." 

"Cute," Yugyeom agrees, pinching Jaehyun's cheek sharply. 

" _You're going through a lot of trouble for hyung,_ " Jungwoo says. 

"It's not much," Jaehyun denies. 

Jungwoo tilts his head. " _You'll get fired if your boss finds out you're doing this._ " 

Jaehyun often gets the feeling that Jungwoo is psychic. This is one of those times. Jungwoo fixes him with a pretty little smile and just stares, and it feels like it’s going right through him.

"Maybe,” says Jaehyun. “Yeah, maybe.”

"Brave," Jungwoo says simply, in English. 

Jaehyun smiles back at him, as genuinely as he can manage. "Brave, or maybe just stupid." 

\---------------

The day that Jaehyun wakes up to a text from Chris demanding that he be at Johnny & J's that afternoon is a good day. 

More specifically, he's been told that if he goes to the salon around 1pm, he'll be in for a show. And Jaehyun is always up for a show. So he picks up some Thai food for lunch for Johnny and hightails it to the salon. 

Everything is normal when he arrives and gives Johnny a kiss and a box of spicy noodles. They sit in the waiting area, which is empty for the moment, to eat.

"What service," Johnny teases him, as he splits his takeout chopsticks, "Cute delivery boy and everything." 

"I live to please," Jaehyun replies. 

"Yeah, you do," Johnny raises his eyebrows suggestively, earning a loud "Yah!" from Jaemin at the front desk. 

"I'm so glad that your English is good enough to tell when he's being gross," Jaehyun teases. 

Jaemin sticks his tongue out at them. Johnny looks about ready to start a play-fight over the insolence, but just then, the door opens, and several people spill into the salon. 

There's four boys, all dressed extremely sharply. The one in the lead is tall and muscular and very familiar to Jaehyun, and he's flanked by a short delicate-looking kid with deep pink hair, and a tall skinny kid with dark hair. Bringing up the rear is a face that Jaehyun knows from album covers and promo material at the radio station. 

" _Jackson Wang_ ," Johnny coughs into his noodles, eyes wide. 

"Go say hello," Jaehyun says, amused. 

"There's a celebrity in my salon," Johnny says, voice hushed, as the muscular guy in front addresses Jaemin in fluent Korean. 

"So go say hello," Jaehyun repeats. 

When Jackson Wang spies Johnny, he beams. "Hey, man!" 

Johnny stands up, holding his hand out for the rapper to shake. He gets a bro hug instead. 

"I had a Jackson on my schedule," Johnny says sheepishly, "But I didn't think...well..." 

"No worries," Jackson brushes it off. "I hope it's okay, I brought my bros." 

"Jungkook," the muscular guy cuts in, going in for a handshake himself. "And this is Felix and Hyunjin. We're his staff. For today." 

Oh, God, another Korean boy with a J name. This kid better watch his back, Jaehyun thinks wryly. But Johnny's too busy leading Jackson back to the hair wash stations and engaging him in awkward conversation to notice anything else. 

The other three boys sit down with Jaehyun in the waiting area. 

"Haven't we met?" Jaehyun asks Jungkook. 

Jungkook nods shyly. "I came to your birthday party." 

Jaehyun snaps his fingers. "Muscles." 

"What?" 

"You came with a guy. In khakis." 

"My boyfriend," Jungkook nods again. 

"You guys were getting cozy," Jaehyun teases. 

Jungkook flushes. "We've been told we get...ah...a little out of hand when we drink. Sorry." 

"Nah, Johnny and I are the same way." 

"You and Johnny are cute, though," Jungkook says, sounding a little wistful. "It's sweet."

Jaehyun glances around, making sure Johnny is firmly out of earshot. "You're Chris's friend, right?" 

"We're all coworkers," Jungkook says, gesturing to the other boys.

"And you guys told Jackson what's up?" 

Jungkook smiles, a goofy smile that emphasizes his slightly overlarge front teeth. "Yeah. He thought it was like, really romantic. He'll stay in character." 

"I know he's your friend, but it's kinda wild that he's here," Jaehyun comments. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm a radio DJ, I see his name a lot." 

"Where do you work?" 

"NCT1.27. It's an SM station." 

"Ew," Jungkook wrinkles his nose. "No offense. But ew." 

"None taken," Jaehyun assures him. 

"This is really fun for us," Jungkook says conspiratorially, "We're all in video production and marketing and stuff, it's fun to play posse like this." 

“Posse, huh?” 

Jungkook gestures vaguely. “People expect rapper to have an entourage, right? Jackson’s too lame to have one. So we’re pretending.”

"Thanks for the help, though, seriously," Jaehyun replies. “Having him here is gonna be a social media boost for sure.”

"Are you kidding? I'm getting paid to be here right now," Jungkook smiles. 

The four of them split one of the containers of Thai food (not Johnny's - Jaehyun sets that one aside for him) while Johnny works, and make smalltalk about working in music. The whole while, Jaehyun's surprised at the way his plan is turning out. He's really going for this, then. He's really about to have every Asian-American in Los Angeles turn out to help Johnny, all in secret. It's kind of impressive. 

"It's crazy we haven't met," Jungkook says, after the food is gone. "We have, like, so many mutual friends." 

"Do we?" 

"I grew up with Yugyeom," Jungkook says, "And I went to college with Mingyu." 

"No fucking way," Jaehyun says. "Yugyeom's like my best friend ever. We went to high school and college together." 

He hazards a glance over at the other two boys – Hyunjin and Felix, was it? – but they look like they’re in their own world, talking quietly, face-to-face.

"I think we're all the same age, then," Jungkook hedges. "You, me, Chris, Yugyeom, Bam, and Mingyu." 

Jaehyun tilts his head curiously. "I'm like nine months older than Yugyeom.” 

"And I'm like two months older." 

"Small fucking world," Jaehyun says. 

"Super crazy." 

It is super crazy.

When Jackson is finally finished with his cut and highlights and the whole posse leaves, Johnny collapses back onto his waiting room chair like he's just run a marathon. 

"Well. That happened."

“It did,” Jaehyun agrees, handing Johnny his now-cold noodles. 

Johnny tucks into them anyway. While he’s shoveling his food into his mouth, his phone starts vibrating with notifications. It doesn’t stop vibrating. Johnny’s hands are very busy creating a conveyor belt from the takeout box to his mouth, so Jaehyun picks up Johnny’s phone and checks the notifications. They’re all from Instagram. 

Jaemin had taken photos of Jackson’s finished hair for the company Instagram, and it appears that Jackson has reposted one of them. 

The Johnny & J’s Instagram had two thousand followers, last time Jaehyun had checked. Now it has thirty thousand. 

“Johnny.” 

“What?” 

Jaehyun holds out the phone wordlessly, and Johnny’s eyes bulge over his mouthful of food. 

“Oh, God. Oh God, oh god!” he mumbles as he chews. “Oh God, what the fuck-”

“Aren’t you happy?” Jaehyun asks him, worried that maybe he’s overstepped with this one. 

“This is fucking amazing,” Johnny murmurs, scrolling through the comments and the likes. 

Jaehyun feels a little like a secret agent as he watches his boyfriend eat noodles and marvel over his newfound social media status. 

Phase One, complete. 

\---------------

Doing a celebrity's hair with no advance notice is stressful, so that night, Jaehyun decides they're going to have a romantic night in. 

Jaehyun isn’t exactly sure what a romantic night in entails. He would consider himself a romantic, sure, but Johnny is the one who usually plans out cute surprises in their relationship. The prospect of planning something suitably cute and maybe even Instagrammable is daunting. Johnny is too good at romance. Impressing him is a tall order. 

The solution, Jaehyun decides, is to default in the other direction. Don’t try hard at all. 

He goes home early from the salon, showers, and changes into his most Johnny-approved PJs (just pajama shorts and no shirt, Johnny is predictable and horny). He finds several bottles of his cheapest wine, opens one, and dumps most of it into an enormous coffee mug. He texts Johnny that they’re gonna hang out at Jaehyun’s apartment, that night, instead of at Johnny’s like they more often do. And there he sits, drinking wine and playing Tetris on his phone until Johnny comes home. 

That’s how Johnny finds him, lounging with his empty mug between his knees as he taps furiously at the little squares running down his screen at an absolutely impossible speed. 

“Hey bro,” Johnny says, ruffling Jaehyun’s hair as he passes by the back of the couch. 

“Fuck this game,” Jaehyun replies. 

“Rough day?” Johnny calls from the kitchen. 

“I’m so bad at geometry, why did I let Mingyu get me into this fucking game?” Jaehyun hisses. 

He throws his phone at the couch cushions when he loses – again – and remembers that he’s supposed to be a vision of romance. Fuck Tetris. Focus on Johnny. Maybe fuck Johnny. Who knows? 

“How was the rest of work?” Jaehyun asks. 

Johnny returns from the kitchen with his own mug, which he promptly fills from one of the open bottles spread on Jaehyun’s coffee table. He takes a long drink, setting his phone facedown on the table beside the bottles.

“Still busy,” Johnny says, eventually. “I’m gonna get changed.” 

“Okay.” 

He heads for the bedroom, where several items of Johnny’s pajamas live amongst Jaehyun’s. While he rustles away in there, Jaehyun switches on the TV, flicking over to a sitcom rerun and letting it drone in the background while he refills Johnny’s wine and his own. 

“Whatcha watching?” Johnny asks, when he comes back into the room, plonking a couple bags of snacks down on the table. 

Jaehyun melts a little when he sees Johnny. He’s got a big t-shirt and pajama bottoms on, and his hair is sticking up funny from changing clothes. He gives Jaehyun a little wink as he leans down to retrieve his wine.

“Whatever’s on,” Jaehyun replies. 

Johnny looks down at himself, and then at Jaehyun’s bare chest. “Nice view.” 

“All for you, bro.” 

“Thanks bro,” Johnny nods at him seriously.

He’s still standing up while he drinks, so Jaehyun stands up, too. He eases the mug out of Johnny’s hands, sets it on the table, and slots himself into Johnny’s arms instead. 

“I was drinking that,” Johnny complains mildly, as he tucks Jaehyun tighter against him. 

“Shh,” Jaehyun shushes, “Don’t fight my love and affection.” 

Johnny laughs. “You get to be drunk, why can’t I be drunk?” 

“I’m not drunk.” 

Johnny pulls back so he can look Jaehyun in the face. Jaehyun manages his best charming I’m-not-even-that-drunk smile, and it must work because Johnny just laughs harder. 

“I love you.” 

Jaehyun swears the world slows down around him.

He can’t remember…curse his drunk brain because he can’t fucking remember, but…they’ve said ‘I love you’ before, right? This isn’t the first time Johnny’s saying ‘I love you,’ _right_? 

He puzzles over it, only mildly panicking about whether he needs to say it back right away, and Johnny doesn’t even seem to notice as he maneuvers them back onto the couch. They end up curled together, Johnny sitting upright and Jaehyun tucked into his side with his head on Johnny’s chest. 

Johnny, who just said _he loves him_. 

“I was supposed to be romancing _you_ ,” Jaehyun mutters, into Johnny’s pectoral. 

“What was that?” Johnny asks. 

“Tall cocky bitch, stealing my thunder…”

“You’re having a whole conversation down there, Jae.”

Johnny’s got one hand clutching his mug of wine, and the other hand firmly holding Jaehyun by the ass, which is classic Johnny. Jaehyun just nuzzles farther into him. 

“I love you too.” 

Johnny smacks Jaehyun lightly on the ass. “I know you do.” 

Really, Jaehyun should have guessed that all their relationship milestones would be stupid. It’s just how they work. 

They cuddle like that until Jaehyun’s arm falls asleep under the weight of his body. He pries himself free of Johnny’s big grabby hand, his arm tingling as the blood flows back into it uninhibited, and digs around in the couch cushions until he finds his phone, buried from when he threw it earlier. The screen comes up with a several texts. 

“Jungwoo says to check your voicemail,” Jaehyun reports, scrolling through the messages.

“Voicemail?” Johnny grumbles.

“Check it. Jungwoo says.” 

“Is Jungwoo the boss around here?”

“Yeah, actually. We’ve known that.”

Johnny flips his phone over to display six missed calls and two voicemails. 

“What the hell?” Johnny says, unlocking his phone. 

“Why so many?” Jaehyun hums. 

“No clue.” 

Johnny puts his phone on speaker and lets one of the voicemails play. It’s a woman, her tone impatient and curt, but her words friendly. 

_“Hi, this is Danica Marie, calling for…Johnny & J’s salon? I want to make an appointment. Please call me back as soon as possible at-”_

They don’t get to hear the woman’s phone number, because they’re interrupted by an incoming call from a number with a Valley area code. Johnny scoops the phone to his ear and says a hasty hello. 

“Yes, this is Johnny, how can I help you?” Johnny says, in his best business voice. 

The person on the other end replies, and Johnny stands up to pace while he talks 

Usually new clients DM the salon’s Instagram account for appointments; the teenage girls that keep coming in on Jaehyun’s recommendation have been using the app exclusively. But Jaehyun knows that at night, after closing, Johnny forwards the salon’s calls to his own phone. 

Six missed calls, two voicemails. And now this new call.

“We’re blowing up, what the fuck?” Johnny mutters to Jaehyun. 

Jaehyun can hear a loud cheerful woman’s voice on the other end, chattering along so quickly that it’s amazing Johnny is even following. Johnny’s dropping an “mm” and an “okay, okay” at all the right places, obviously waiting for this woman to get to the point. It’s all Jaehyun can do not to laugh out loud. 

_“I NEED to be seen on Tuesday-”_ Jaehyun can hear the woman insisting, her voice loud enough to hear even as Johnny meanders up and down the room. 

“I’ll see if I can fit you in. Can I call you back at this number?” Johnny asks dutifully. 

Jaehyun’s phone lights up with a notification, distracting him from Johnny’s conversation, and as he swipes it open, he sees that it’s a message from Yixing. He’s sent an array of emojis, starting with the lady getting a haircut and ending with the thumbs-up. A second message from Yixing pings in while Jaehyun’s looking. Just three words. 

_Phase Two, complete._

Oh, goddamnit. This is part of the plan. 

These must be Yixing’s bougie-ass patrons, rich ladies from the Valley looking for eye candy and nasty blonde highlights. Jaehyun tunes Johnny back in with new curiosity. 

“No, thank _you_. Goodnight,” Johnny says, and hits the End Call button with what seems like immense relief. 

“All clients?” Jaehyun asks, as Johnny collapses back onto the couch. 

Johnny leans over so that he’s pressing on Jaehyun’s shoulder, and keeps leaning until Jaehyun is laying on his side with Johnny squishing him bodily into the couch cushions. 

“All clients,” Johnny confirms, as Jaehyun wheezes beneath him. 

“Get off!”

“They’re all middle-aged ladies, all friends with each other, and they ALL want color. Someone asked for balayage from Jaemin, specifically. How the fuck they know he does balayage is beyond me.”

“John, I can’t fuckin’ breathe.”

“That’s like...$200 per person.”

Jaehyun shoves his boyfriend off, finally, and processes what he’s been told. $200 per person for like half a dozen rich soccer moms.

“That’s a lot of money.” 

“I know,” Johnny says, grinning, “That’s why I didn’t tell her to get fucked for talking to me like that.”

“You’re ruthless, you know that?” 

“You like it.” 

Johnny raises one eyebrow rakishly, sending Jaehyun the most insufferable grin. Jaehyun knows there are bound to be more stupid things coming out of Johnny’s mouth when he makes that face, so he takes action. 

He leans over and kisses Johnny.

“You’re trying to distract me, and I appreciate it,” Johnny says, when Jaehyun pulls back. 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Johnny purses his lips like he wants to pick more of an argument, insufferable bitch that he is, but then he just gives Jaehyun a kiss on the forehead and settles back down. They return to their shit television in a comfortable quiet, just wine and snacks and each other. 

Jaehyun must doze off, because he’s gently startled awake when Johnny speaks. 

“I think you’re right. About talking to the landlord.”

“Mm?” Jaehyun groans, rubbing at his cheek where it was smushed into Johnny’s shoulder. 

“You said a while ago that I should see if I can negotiate a new lease agreement with my landlord for the salon space. Raise the rent or extend my stay or something, to keep that company off my back,” Johnny says. 

“I did say that,” Jaehyun agrees.

“I think that’s a good idea.” 

“What would you offer?” 

Johnny shrugs, jostling Jaehyun with the movement. “Probably an advance payment? If I sign a long contract and put out, like…half? As a deposit?” 

Jaehyun hums, “Like…”

“Like, what if I sign for two years and pay one year in advance?” 

“Can you do that?” 

“I don’t think it’s illegal or anything,” Johnny says, “Just unconventional.” 

“Ask your landlord and see,” Jaehyun agrees. 

“I will.” 

“Yeah.” 

“And Jae?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks.” 

\---------------

If Jaehyun had to list his biggest weakness, he would probably say that it’s his aversion to conflict. He’s always been shy, nervous around new people. He never liked getting in trouble or breaking rules, when he was a kid. 

Now, Jaehyun has no idea where that kid has gone. 

He’s at work, alone with Henry in the studio for an overnight on-air shift on a Saturday night. For a while, it’s business as usual, with Henry popping in to deliver notes and the ad spots during breaks in the broadcast. 

But on maybe the third or fourth schedules advertising block, Jaehyun finds himself speaking without even a second thought. 

“You know what it is,” he drawls, “Your regular reminder to come through to Johnny & J’s.” 

As soon as the words have left his mouth, Jaehyun can see Henry’s face in the tiny window that peeks from the office into his recording room. He’s in trouble. Deliberately disobeying, and Henry is here to see and hear it all. 

He finishes the ad, and plays the next song.

\---------------

Jaehyun is covering the front desk at the tail end of a particularly busy day at Johnny & J’s when it happens. 

They’re about to close. It’s been an all-hands-on-deck kind of day, no stylists left to check-in the seemingly endless stream of clients, so Jaehyun had offered to help out. He’s sitting on top of the desk, fiddling with his phone, as Jeno ushers the last excited girl with new side bangs out the front door and collapses into the desk chair beside him. 

“Long day,” Jaehyun says. 

Jeno slaps one hand down on Jaehyun’s thigh fondly. “Too much.” 

Before Jaehyun can agree, the front door opens. He turns around, and Jeno looks up expectantly, probably thinking it’s his client having forgotten something, but it’s definitely not a teenage girl. It’s a man.

The man is middle-aged, stately, dressed to the nines with a leather satchel in one fist and a takeout coffee in the other. He looks distinctly out of place in Johnny’s trendy little studio space, his shiny, shiny shoes clicking austerely on the tile. 

Worst of all, Jaehyun recognizes him. He turns back around quickly, hopping off the desktop as Jeno addresses their guest.

“Can I help you?” Jeno asks warily, in his best English. 

“I’m looking for a Mr. John Suh,” the man says. 

Jeno blinks at him. “Okay. Wait.” 

As Jeno scurries away to locate Johnny, the man turns and takes a seat in one of the waiting-area chairs. He sets down his satchel and his coffee cup, settling into the chair before he looks around the salon space. His face breaks into a peculiar expression when he sees Jaehyun leaning against the front desk, not quite amusement and not quite pity. 

“Oh,” the man says mildly.

“Mr. Young,” Jaehyun greets, not even bothering to fake politeness. 

The man, Mr. Young, looks him up and down. He doesn’t say anything else. He just stands there, still with that strange expression on his face, until Johnny comes around from the work area, Jeno and Jungwoo in tow. The two of them stop near Jaehyun, at the desk, but Johnny moves forward to greet the newcomer. 

“Hey there,” Johnny says, his usual friendly demeanor falling a bit as he senses the tension in the room. 

The man stands up. “You’re John Suh?” 

“I am.”

“Dexter Young. General counsel, SM Studios,” the man says, holding out a hand for Johnny to shake. 

Johnny takes it, gingerly, and shakes. His hand engulfs Mr. Young’s, and Jaehyun can see plain as day that the lawyer notices, and doesn’t like it. They drop the handshake quickly, and the lawyer sits down again.

“I take it you’re not here for a haircut,” Johnny says, his tone suggesting humor but his face expressionless.

“No, not today,” the lawyer agrees, “Care to sit?”

Johnny shakes his head. “I’ll stand.”

Mr. Young nods, before saying with an air of finality, "I came to ask you to...reconsider. The arrangement you’ve made with the building owner." 

"Really, now?"

"I'm sure you know we've been looking into this space for a while, now, Mr. Suh," the lawyer says, with false friendliness. 

“Yeah, it’s come up,” Johnny says dubiously. 

“And you know our company is more than capable of paying out whatever the remainder of your lease would cost the property owner,” Mr. Young says. “Until recently, we thought the matter was settled.” 

“Until recently,” Johnny repeats. 

“Well, we were _informed_ that you were interested in keeping this space, Mr. Suh.” 

Johnny looks around slowly, meeting Jaehyun’s eye for a fraction of a second. “This is my business. You didn’t think I would be okay with you muscling me out, did you?” 

“We were hoping to avoid a conflict,” the lawyer admits, “But now that we’ve run into one, I’m here to ask you directly.”

“To do what, exactly?”

“To step aside.” 

Johnny bristles. “Why would I do that?” 

“It’s truly in your best interest not to squabble about this.” 

“You already told me that you know what’s going on. You know that I’ve already paid forward on my lease,” Johnny says. “I’m not going anywhere. I pay for this space and I have a contract that says I can stay here.”

The lawyer tilts his head, like he’s regarding a particularly interesting puzzle. “You should know that SM Studios is not above serving you a lawsuit over the space.” 

Oh, _no_. 

Jaehyun hopes Johnny can’t see the way the color has drained from his face. 

Mr. Young digs around in his leather bag for a minute, and pulls out a sheaf of papers fastened together with a brass fastener, which he offers to Johnny. He takes them.

“’Obstruction of Business,’” Johnny reads, looking up incredulously as he flips the first page. “That’s bullshit. This is my property and _my_ business. You’re obstructing _me_.” 

“If you don’t want to settle this with a gentleman’s agreement,” Mr. Young says delicately, “Then this draft goes to the district court, and we settle things that way.” 

“You’re threatening me,” Johnny says. 

“Not threatening. Simply pointing out the next course of action.” 

It’s a real lawsuit. Jaehyun’s employer, a big rich media company owned by a big rich media magnate, is going to _sue_ Johnny, and then he’ll lose everything anyway. That’s how it works. Jaehyun knows. Big businessmen like his boss, the chairman, they walk all over good, hardworking people to get to the top. People like Johnny.

If that happens, all of this was for nothing, the secret meetings and social media marketing and getting Johnny new clients. All the favors he pulled and the way he snuck around on his own job, disobeying orders and putting Henry’s job in danger…

He couldn’t even do this one thing right, for Johnny. 

Jaehyun is halfway to his feet, ready to beg the lawyer not to sue and to out himself for everything he’s done, when Johnny speaks.

“Then sue me.”

Jaehyun gasps, “Johnny-”

“Jae,” Johnny replies flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument. 

The lawyer sputters, obviously not expecting that answer. “I don’t think-”

“The social media reaction alone would put a dent in your business,” Johnny points out. “You do broadcast, right? I bet I have more reach than you.” 

“Let’s keep this professional,” Mr. Young says. “No need to get into a popularity contest.”

“Professional? You just threatened legal action against me when I’ve told you that I already _got permission_ to stay.” 

“Mr. Suh-”

“I don’t know why this is hard for you,” Johnny says, his voice mean and hard, “It’s my property. Not yours. So you can stop harassing me about it.” 

Mr. Young's smile turns tight and impatient. He leans forward in his chair. "Mr. Suh, really, now. It would be better if you stopped this nonsense." 

"If you keep pressuring me, I'll take _you_ to court," Johnny says flatly. 

"On what grounds?" 

"Harassment, for one." 

"Mr. Suh, please," Mr. Young repeats, anger building.

"No, you listen to _me_. My salon has a reputation, a solid income, and a client base from the cashiers on the ground floor to Top 40 artists. We have an agreement to use this space, and I'm not gonna be bullied out of it." 

Mr. Young lounges back in his chair, trying to mask how agitated he’s become. "Arrogant, aren't you?"

“I have every right to be.”

“You think so?”

Johnny stares at him coolly. "I have a brand-new contract that I signed this week. I paid out a two-year rent advance, on the spot, in cash. This is _my_ property and you're gonna have to leave before I have you escorted out." 

The lawyer's face is pinched with rage. "Fine. Fine." 

He picks up his bag and his coffee, and stalks toward the exit. Johnny's expression is as blank and confident as ever. Jungwoo and Jeno are exchanging silent screams. 

But Mr. Young pauses. "Oh, yes, Jaehyun Jung. You're fired." 

With a twisted smile, the SM Studios lawyer leaves the salon. Johnny walks forward a few steps, watching as the man disappears down the stairs. The little bell on the door is the only sound between the lot of them. 

Johnny doesn't look at Jaehyun. He just stands there with his back turned.

He just says, "It was you." 

"Me?" Jaehyun asks, very nervous. 

"You sent me all those clients." 

"I mean-"

"Jackson Wang, all those ladies from Calabasas. The teenagers. I don't know how you did it, but it was you." 

"Johnny, I-"

Johnny turns around slowly. His expression is unreadable, and Jaehyun stops. 

“All the money, all the clients, the fact that everything seems to be going my way,” Johnny’s eyes are always big, but right now Jaehyun feels like he’s drowning in them. “The idea to ask for a new lease before SM could come after me. Everything is because of you.” 

Johnny walks forward one, two, three big steps and wraps Jaehyun in a crushing hug, burying his face in Jaehyun's shoulder. He lets out a shuddering breath, just short of outright crying, and practically goes limp. Jaehyun locks his arms around Johnny, one hand petting Johnny’s hair and the other tracing little circles along his spine. 

“How the fuck did you do this?” Johnny asks, face still pressed into Jaehyun’s shirt. 

“It wasn’t just me,” Jaehyun says. 

Johnny groans a little. “That doesn’t answer my question.” 

“You’re the one who just told a high-powered corporate lawyer to shove it,” Jaehyun teases him gently. “How the fuck did _you_ do _that?_ ”

“It was so hard. I almost died,” Johnny pulls back, hair delightfully messy, to peer down at Jaehyun, “Did you see me almost die? The confrontation…my life force…draining…” 

Jaehyun presses a kiss to Johnny’s lips, ignoring Jungwoo pretending to gag behind them. 

“ _Why_ did you do it?” Johnny asks, instead. 

Jaehyun laughs at the ridiculousness of the question. “Why?” 

“Why?” Johnny asks again. 

“Because I love you,” Jaehyun says. “Because you’ve always felt like home to me. And seeing you on the edge of losing _your_ home, here…I couldn’t let that happen. Not to you.” 

Jungwoo really does gag then, loud and obviously fake, and it’s a testament to how stupidly close they all are that Johnny kisses Jaehyun again anyway. There’s a loud smack and a yelp from behind them, presumably Jeno issuing some well-deserved discipline to his hyung for ruining the moment. 

But it’s perfect. 

The salon is safe. Johnny is happy. 

And Jaehyun’s getting kissed by Johnny, right there in the salon in the evening on a Wednesday while two of their best friends have a slap fight. 

Perfect. 

\---------------

Jung Jaehyun hates finding a new salon.

It’s good fortune, then, that he works at the best one in town. 

He thinks about just how lucky he is all day long, as he answers phones and checks in clients and makes coffee and orders everyone lunch. It’s the kind of work that the Jaehyun he was a year ago would have seen as beneath him. Menial tasks, helping tasks. 

Now, they’re comfortable tasks. He gets to work with people, come and go as he pleases. He gets to work with Johnny, watch as Johnny charms and works and loves people into sparkling newness as they pass through his salon. 

Gets to brew Yugyeom’s custom roast and serve Bambam’s special macarons and laugh with starstruck teenagers who’ve come to the salon chasing names like Jackson Wang and Mark Lee. 

Gets to take his meals with Jungwoo and Jeno and Jaemin and Jisung, a new family that look up to him like annoying little brothers. 

They’re not rich or famous, really, but Jaehyun’s little plan did have some lasting results. The salon turns profits that Johnny alone had never dreamed possible. With the new clientele and the local prestige and the comfortable money that comes with it, they’re putting Jisung and Jeno through college, and they’ve invested resources in Focus, and in Mark’s YouTube career.

Jaehyun is really lucky. 

They’re ready to close for the day before Jaehyun knows it. He runs a hand through his hair – it’s navy now, so dark that it might as well be black, a color that Jeno is very proud to have mixed – careful not to snag the new ring on his left hand. 

The ring is very new, a simple gold band and a tiny, tiny amethyst setting in the middle. Johnny won’t tell him how much it cost. He claims it’s a thank-you for turning the little salon into a local staple that’s been featured in Teen Vogue twice in the last two months. It was a present and a promise on their one-year anniversary; Johnny, always the more romantic one, sprung it on him with no warning. There were ugly, happy tears. Yugyeom posted lots of pictures to prove it. 

As Jaehyun files away the last of the day’s spreadsheets and shuts off the desktop computer, Johnny approaches his desk, hands stained just a little bit red from his last client’s coloring. 

“You’re supposed to wear gloves,” Jaehyun complains good-naturedly.

“I washed up and everything,” Johnny sighs, “I guess this is me, now. Stupid red hands.” 

Jaehyun beams at him. “I’ll get used to it.” 

They leave all together, the two of them and their four stylists, once everything is swept and polished and restocked for the next day. It’s winter again, and Jungwoo and Jeno run for it as soon as they reach the street, desperate to get in out of the cold. Jaemin and Jisung chase them, yelling something about a promise to have dinner together. There’s a collective goodbye shouted over shoulders at their hyungs.

That leaves Johnny and Jaehyun to double-check the door and set off for their own (brand new, ridiculously nice, and ridiculously cozy) shared apartment. 

As Johnny is digging around in his pockets for the car keys, a voice calls out to them.

“Fancy meeting you two here.” 

Jaehyun turns around to see Chris Bang, the blonde Focus regular himself, walking leisurely down the sidewalk in their direction. 

“Big coincidence,” Johnny says wryly. 

“I…may have asked Yugyeom when you close,” Chris shrugs, “Unrelated.” 

“Sure,” Johnny teases. 

“If you don’t mind, John, I’m actually here for your better half.”

“Should I be threatened?” 

Chris winks at him. 

Johnny pretends to pout. “I feel threatened. 

“What’s up?” Jaehyun asks, ignoring his dumb boyfriend. 

“I have a proposition for you,” Chris says. 

Jaehyun grins at him. “Four partners aren’t enough for you? Greedy ass bitch.” 

“No!” Chris protests, “Jesus, no. Not that kind of proposition.”

“Because personally I thought even just Jamie was too much for you-”

“It’s not that, shut up!” 

“Then what?” 

Chris hands him a piece of paper. It’s a printout of an email, an internal job posting from the music company where Chris works with Jungkook and some of their other friends. They’re looking for-

“A station manager for iBigHit, our streaming radio,” Chris is saying, mostly to Johnny as Jaehyun reads. “I know you’ve got a lot going on here, but if Johnny here can manage without you sometimes…”

Jaehyun looks up at him, sure that his mouth is hanging open stupidly. 

“I’ve already put in word for you,” Chris says. 

“What’s starting salary?” Johnny asks. 

Chris’s eyes glitter. He smirks. “$138,000.” 

The noise that comes out of Jaehyun’s mouth isn’t human. 

“Should I tell the managers that you’re interested?” 

“ _Yes_ ,” Jaehyun gasps, “God, yes.” 

“You got it,” Chris says, taking the paper back from Jaehyun. 

“What even – I don’t –” Jaehyun sputters, “ _Thank you_ , man, that is _ridiculous_. How can I make it up to you?” 

Chris waves a hand, as if dismissing all the thanks. “No need. It’s no trouble. They’ll email you next week.” 

“Seriously, I can’t believe-”

“Well, believe it,” Chris says, with a big smile. “You and Johnny make everything more interesting. The rest of us are just trying to keep up.” 

With that, Chris gives a little nod, and continues on his way. But just as Jaehyun is about to close the door of Johnny’s car behind him, he hears a yell. 

“ _Jae!_ ” 

He pops his head out to see Chris, stopped, pointing one hand up at the darkened windows of the salon.

“I like the new sign! Looks good!” 

Jaehyun grins. 

“Thanks!” he shouts back. 

Chris waves one last time, and turns away. The engine idles, Johnny’s pop music spilling out the open car door, as Jaehyun regards the enormous white letters secured to the building that spell out the name of the salon. 

They’ve just updated them recently. And Chris is right, it looks good. 

Still smiling, Jaehyun gets in the car and closes the door. As Johnny pulls the car away from the curb, Jaehyun focuses on the letters until they’re too small to read, fading away in the distance as they head for home. 

_Johnny & Jaehyun’s_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL I LIKED IT.
> 
> Johnjae nation, thank you for taking care of me through this endeavor~ I love you~~

**Author's Note:**

> I'm incapable of writing kpop fic without including a million '97 liners I am SORRY.


End file.
